Unbreak You
by Michaela Martin
Summary: Based on the song Unbreak by Ryan Star. Anna fresh from an abusive relationship, escapes and finds herself in Arendelle. There she is taken in by Bulda Bjorgman and is given a job where she meets Bulda's son Kristoff. Can Kristoff unbreak Anna from the damage and help her love again? Love him? TW: Domestic Abuse, Marital Rape. Will be M for later chapters.
1. Escape

**A/N: Welcome to my new Kristanna story! This makes four multi-chapter stories I have written for Frozen and Kristanna in general! This particular piece will focus on the rebuilding of trust and love after heartbreak and abuse.**

 **Anna isolated as a child due to hypochondriac mother fell into an abusive relationship and recently managed to break it off and moved to a totally different town. Having only a single suitcase, no car and very little money, she ends up at a shelter where Bulda Bjorgman and her daughters Grace and Matilda volunteer. The Bjorgman girls and several other members of the family run a catering company. Kristoff the eldest son and secondary head chef, takes notice of the very talkative yet very timid girl his mother brought home. Together, Anna and Kristoff form an uneasy friendship that blossoms into something more. Can Kristoff's love unbreak Anna?**

 **The Bjorgman Family (Will be at the top of every chapter mostly for my own reference)  
**

 **Bulda: The Mother; has a penchant for taking in "strays"; all of her children are adopted; owns a large catering/wedding venue; has a tendency to always call her children by their first and middle name**

 **Pabbie: The Father; does the management side of the company**

 **Kristoff Alastair: 26; The eldest of the bunch; head chef for the company; kinda grumpy but very sweet once you get to know him; is the oldest but last to be adopted**

 **Matilda Louise: 24; The second child; head server; befriends Anna; is of Indian descent; dresses ethnically**

 **Adam Carter: 23; The third child; the bartender; is in college in the city**

 **Grace Leanna: 20; The fourth child; a server with the company; also befriends Anna and encourages her to let Kristoff in**

 **Penny June: 17; The fifth child; a prep cook**

 **Lucy May: 10; the sixth child; likes to color**

 **Junebug Carly: 7; the seventh child; twin of Justin Carl**

 **Justin Carl: 7; the eighth child; twin of Junebug Carly**

 **Stephen Michael: 6; the ninth child**

 **Temperance** **Dawn: 4; the youngest child**

 **Sven: Kristoff's German Shepherd**

 **Anna's World**

 **Anna Marcie Delano: 23; fresh from an abusive relationship**

 **Elsa: Anna's estranged elder sister she hasn't seen in many years**

 **Mrs. Dale: Anna's mother; hypochondriac; kept both Anna and Elsa isolated in fear of germs and disease**

 **Hans Westergaard: Anna's abusive ex she managed to get away from**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 1: Escape

It was now or never. If she didn't leave him now, all the courage she had built up for the last month would be for nothing. He was leaving for a week on business. He would expect her to still be here when he returned but she had no desire to be. He was once a caring and loving man but as the stress of his job and just life in general got to be too much for him, Hans Westergaard took out his frustrations on his live-in girlfriend Anna Delano. Hans didn't believe in marriage and for that Anna was so very grateful. Once he was gone and she was sure he wasn't coming back, Anna picked up the small bag of her belongings and walked out the door and never looked back.

She had managed to hide three hundred dollars from Hans, mostly all in small bills. With that she caught the bus to downtown to the Greyhound station. At the ticket counter the small redheaded girl bought a one way ticket for as far as two hundred dollars could get her. It got her out of the mountains of western Virginia and to the coastal town of Arendelle, South Carolina, about fifty miles from Charleston. Anna slept fitfully on the bus. She was plagued with nightmares of Hans and the night that sealed her desire to leave.

 _She had spent the whole day making him dinner for what was supposed to celebrate his promotion to senior manager of the sales division of the hotel he worked at. A promotion that didn't come. Anna couldn't have known that because he never called her during the day. She spent the morning mixing up fresh bread dough for rolls. After the rolls were set aside for rising she got working on the blackberry pie recipe she had found in an old cookbook at the library. She hadn't made a pie in a very long time and she was excited to make one for Hans. For the meat she had asked him to bring her home a package of rib-eye steaks. She gave the meat a dry rub of spices and let it rest in the fridge until it was closer to the time he would be home to put them on the grill. Anna prided herself on her cooking skills. It was one of the few things (to him anyway) that she was good at. She wanted to go to culinary school and be a master pastry chef but circumstances didn't fully allow for it._

 _She knew he was in a mood before he even walked in the door. She heard his car door slam. His angry footsteps pounding up the porch steps. The slamming of the front door. Anna braced herself for the worst. He thundered through the kitchen, throwing his keys onto the counter, flinging the briefcase into a corner._

She shook herself awake as the bus came to a stop. "All passengers for Arendelle, South Carolina!" the driver shouted.

Anna gathered her small bag and jacket and stepped off the bus to the small coastal town of Arendelle, South Carolina. The bus stopped at a small gas station right on the water. To the left of the station was a large house bustling with people. Anna counted four small children and several adults shuffling out the door. A tall, broad chested, blonde man caught her eye. She quickly looked down and away. Wanting to blend in, Anna made sure to remain as invisible as she could. She walked along the water, finding a spot under the pier to think about her next move. She had to find a place to sleep. She only had less than a hundred dollars to last until she found a job. She doubted Hans would come looking for her. She didn't have any references or work experience. She could cook and take care of a house. Maybe Arendelle had a maid service that could hire her on. But first, she had to find shelter. Someone would be bound to notice her sleeping in the sand under the pier.

She figured there had to be a library or community center where she might find an emergency shelter nearby. She adjusted the bag and began to wander around the town. Arendelle, was much smaller than Asheville, where she and Hans had lived. People here knew each other. A stranger would stick out and Anna was a stranger to say the very least. She kept her head down and only looked up when she needed to look up. Arendelle reminded Anna of the little towns featured in travel magazines and stock photo calendars. The smell of the sea filled Anna with new life. She felt free for the first time in a very long time. Having been home schooled and isolated by an unstable mother, an absent father and an older sister who ran away as soon as she could, Anna was alone. Meeting Hans at the hotel where she worked as a maid when her mother's disability was cut off until further studies could be made, she thought it an escape from the oppression and depressing home life. Fate it seems is a cruel and vile mistress. Anna only traded one form of abuse and torment for another.

The first time he hit her, Anna ran. She went back to the hotel and begged her boss to take her in. She couldn't go home, not back to the sadness and despair that plagued her mother's house. The kind woman who ran the housekeeping staff agreed to let Anna come home with her and when they returned in the morning, Hans was contrite and repenting. He brought gifts and flowers, begging for forgiveness. He gave promises and vows that it wouldn't happen again, that it was an error in judgement and he adored her. Stupidly, Anna realized later, she went back to him. To pain and torment and displeasure. In the four years she endured physical abuse, torment and he cheated on her throughout it all. He took her money, making her beg for practically anything she may need. He nearly starved her to death but restricting and determining when and what she could eat.

But now, now here in this small town of Arendelle, South Carolina, the girl was free. Free of his stares and his foul temper. Free of his subtle hints of her nonexistent weight gain. Free from his fists and foot. But somehow she knew, Anna knew, that for the rest of her life, she would be looking out over her shoulder for his ginger hair and ridiculous sideburns.

Anna found the local library in a glen by the water. It was an old house, left over from the antebellum. It was a stately old plantation house with columns and porch that wrapped all the way around it. Upon further inspection, Anna could see the fans twirling to keep the humidity at bay. Anna walked up the creaking wooden steps and entered into the building. It was children's story hour and there were kids galore running about, picking out books and binging them to their mothers and fathers.

Two girls about Anna's age was with four children of varying height and descending ages. The older of the girls has long black hair, dark brown skin, her hair pulled back in a thick single braid down her back. She was wearing a long heavily embroidered tunic and white leggings. "Junebug, Justin! Come on guys. We have to get home. Mother has a party."

"One more book, please Tillie!" A little girl with bright red hair in pigtails runs up to the older girl, holding a giant pile of books.

"Junebug Carly, you already have five here. You won't have room in your book bag for more."

"Grace! Tillie!" another little girl ran up to them, grinning. "Look it's a bunny book!"

"That's great Temperance," the other girl said. "We have to get home now. So please stay with Tillie and I."

Anna turned away from them before they caught her staring. He always told her that she stared at strangers too much. She wandered back away from the families and others looking through the shelves for the phonebook. People rarely looked things up in the phone book these days, not in day and age of Google and the internet. Not finding what she was looking for Anna, looked around for someone who she thought would be sympathetic to her plight.

"Um, excuse me," Anna said, very softly.

"Can I help you dear?" the older woman at the information desk asked.

"Is there somewhere I can stay. I'm running from someone who isn't the-"

"Don't say another word, dear. I understand," the older woman said, patting her hand. "I am going to make a call for you, okay sweetheart. We keep the haven discreet because of the nature of it. Are you comfortable with a man coming to pick you up or would like a woman?"

"Is he safe?"

"Kristoff Bjorgman is the safest man you could ever meet. His mama would kick him from here to Sunday if he was ever anything but a gentleman. You go find somewhere comfy to relax in and I'll come find you when they're here. Don't worry sweetheart, Arendelle is a safe place. I'm Susan if you need anything."

"Anna."

Susan watched Anna walk towards the picture window and settle into the wicker chair. She knew she should call Rayna at the shelter but the sheer lost and defeated look on the girl's face screamed that she needed a mom to love her. And the best mom in the whole of Arendelle, possibly South Carolina and maybe even the world was Bulda Caroline Bjorgman. Bulda had a habit of taking in strays and healing them from the horrors and despair they had seen. None of the kids or young adults that Bulda took in ever left her care without being completely transformed to the best possible version of themselves. What this girl needed was a mom and Susan was going to give her one.


	2. Haven

**The Bjorgman Family (Will be at the top of every chapter mostly for my own reference)**

 **Bulda: The Mother; has a penchant for taking in "strays"; all of her children are adopted; owns a large catering/wedding venue; has a tendency to always call her children by their first and middle name**

 **Pabbie: The Father; does the management side of the company**

 **Kristoff Alastair: 26; The eldest of the bunch; head chef for the company; kinda grumpy but very sweet once you get to know him; is the oldest but last to be adopted**

 **Matilda Louise: 24; The second child; head server; befriends Anna; is of Indian descent; dresses ethnically**

 **Adam Carter: 23; The third child; the bartender; is in college in the city**

 **Grace Leanna: 20; The fourth child; a server with the company; also befriends Anna and encourages her to let Kristoff in**

 **Penny June: 17; The fifth child; a prep cook**

 **Lucy May: 10; the sixth child; likes to color**

 **Junebug Carly: 7; the seventh child; twin of Justin Carl**

 **Justin Carl: 7; the eighth child; twin of Junebug Carly**

 **Stephen Michael: 6; the ninth child**

 **Temperance** **Dawn: 4; the youngest child**

 **Sven: Kristoff's German Shepherd**

 **Anna's World**

 **Anna Marcie Delano: 23; fresh from an abusive relationship**

 **Elsa: Anna's estranged elder sister she hasn't seen in many years**

 **Mrs. Dale: Anna's mother; hypochondriac; kept both Anna and Elsa isolated in fear of germs and disease**

 **Hans Westergaard: Anna's abusive ex she managed to get away from**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 2: Haven

Anna found a comfortable seat in front of the picture window that faced the sea. The wicker rocker was covered in a soft cotton gingham print and the window was open, letting the salty air waft into the library. She tucked her feet under her and kept her small bag close. Susan picked up the phone and tapped out the number she knew too well.

"Bulda, it's Susan Hamper, at the library. I'm great. I have this girl, early 20's looks like she's on the run from an abuser. Should I call Rayna at the Haven or do you have room at your place. She looks so lost and broken, that she needs the love of a mother. And you're the best mom in the world. Oh, I didn't realize. Do you think I could borrow Tillie to sit with her until I get off? Or until Rayna can come take her to Haven. I don't want to take her from her job but Bulda, if you could see this girl."

Susan watched Anna as she spoke to Bulda on the phone. While the redheaded girl was staring out at the coming tide, she was still very mindful of her surroundings, jumping at any little sound or person walking past. She watched families pass by and her memory replayed scenes from her childhood where she watched the kids in her neighborhood outside playing from the safety of her living room. Anna's mother was severely agoraphobic and refused to leave the house for anything. They had their groceries delivered, everything delivered it seemed like. The state tried to step in and take Anna and her sister from their mother fearing they were being abused but there was no cause and they were stuck. Mrs. Delano, Anna's mother, as long as she stayed on her medications wasn't too bad. But there was a bad winter when the pharmacy couldn't get to them and Mrs. Delano snapped. She swore that the girls, Anna and her older sister Elsa were conspiring to have her committed and leave her there to rot. She locked the girls in their room for several days. By the time she came down and got her meds, Elsa had run away and hadn't been seen since.

"Anna?"

"Oh my God!" Anna jumped out of the chair and held her heart. "Don't do that!"

"I am so sorry to have startled you," the girl Anna had seen earlier with the children. "I'm Matilda Bjorgman, I'm going to take you over to Haven. You can call me Tillie. Everyone does."

"Oh thank you, Tillie. I'm Anna. Anna Delano, like the president," Anna said.

"Well, Anna. Anna Delano, welcome to Arendelle. I will be your tour guide," Tillie said. "Come on." Tillie picked up Anna's small bag and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I think you're going to like it here. I know I do."

"How long have you lived here?" Anna asked. "You still have a slight Indian accent mixed with the Southern."

"Mama and Daddy brought me over from India when I was eight," Tillie said. "They were on a mission trip and I met them at the orphanage where I had been living since before I can remember. I fell in love with them and knew they were going to be my parents. Since then I have gained eight more brothers and sisters."

"There are nine of you?" Anna asked, shocked. She had known of families in her part of Virginia that had big families but she hadn't met someone who actually did.

"Yep. There's Kristoff, me, Adam, Grace, Penny, Junebug, Justin, Stephen, and Temperance," Tillie said. "And Pabbie and Bulda and Sven, Kristoff's dog," Tillie said, showing Anna to her car. It was a beat up old Toyota something that had seen better days. "It's not much, but it's mine. Pabbie helped me get it at an auction in Charleston."

The two girls got in the car and Matilda began the drive through Arendelle. They passed the big house where she had seen the blonde man. "That's our house," Tillie said. "You can't see it but my brother Kristoff has his Airstream trailer parked behind the house. He and Sven live there because he likes to have his own place but still be close to the family."

As they passed the house, Anna looked back and for a moment caught sight of the silver trailer hooked up to a dark blue pickup. Matilda talked the whole drive. About what Anna was never sure. Having only ever been her and her mother after Elsa ran away, Anna was used to silence. Even Hans barely spoke to her, except to call her names and make her feel awful about herself.

Along the drive, Anna was thought in thought, her thoughts about the next step. Ever since she made the decision to leave Hans, she only thought in next steps. Step one: Escape. Step two: Get as far away from Hans as she could. Step three: Find a safe place. Step four: Find shelter. Step five: Get a job and support herself. Step six: Start over. Step seven: Heal and love anew. Anna knew the people at the shelter would help with steps four through six, but step seven. Step seven would be her responsibility. She liked what she saw of Arendelle and she felt safe. Not safe enough to send a message to her mother. He would find her too easily that way. Someday she would contact her mother but it would be a long way off. But she could start the search for her sister Elsa. Anna hadn't given up in Elsa even though it seemed like Elsa had given up on her.

The women and children's shelter Haven, was just that a haven. Another antebellum home converted into apartments for struggling women and their children. A large play structure sat in front of the house and several kids were running through it, having a grand time.

"Pabbie and my brothers helped design and build that last summer," Matilda said, parking the car in front of the house. "It was supposed to be a pirate ship but somewhere it lost the ship and became that."

The play structure in front of them looked like it was being held up purely by wishful thinking and pure luck. There was the obligatory slide, the monkey bars, a climbing wall and the helm of what was supposed to be the pirate ship. A tower in the far corner looked like it should belong on a Victorian mansion. But the children on it seemed to love it despite its mishmashed appearance.

"Matilda Louise, shouldn't you be getting ready for the Hanson girl's wedding?" A slender black haired woman called from the front porch of the old house.

"Bulda asked me to bring Anna here since she couldn't get away," Tillie said. "Anna Delano, this is the director of Haven Rayna Howell. Rayna, Anna Delano, like the president."

Rayna came down the steps of the porch and greeted Anna. "Welcome to Haven. You're safe now." At the warm greeting and the relief of finally feeling free Anna began to cry. Ryana and Matilda wrapped their arms around her, giving her the first real hug she had experienced in years. "Oh, don't cry sweetheart," Rayna said. "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

"Four years of hell," Anna said.

"I'm sure it has," Rayna reassured. "But it's all about to change. Let's get you settled."

Rayna wrapped her arms around Anna's shoulders and led her up the porch steps and into a small office. "I know paperwork is the last thing you want to be thinking about rig now but it is necessary to your stay here." Anna looked at her for a moment before Rayna added, "Don't worry. We keep all our resident records off the internet and there is no way whoever you're running from will find you. We have 24-hour security run by the local sherrif's station. Bulda's husband and boys offer to take our residents where tthey want to go and offer protection to court hearings."

Anna filled in her name, Anna Marcie Delano, date of birth April 20th, where she came from, Green Briar Ridge, West Virginia. She filled in her job history, maid and housekeeper for West Ridge Inn. The only thing she couldn't answer was Haven sponsor. "Um, who do I put down as my sponsor?"

"Susan Hutchins, the librarian you met earlier and Matilda Louise's mother Bulda Bjorgman," Rayna said. "All your sponsor is, is someone we can call on if you need a reference or to use an address for a job. We aren't a real place, as it were. If we let everyone know about this place then it wouldn't be a safe haven anymore."

Anna nodded and finished filling out what she could on the forms. After it was filed away, Rayna led Anna up to the only single bed left in the house. It wasn't much more than a twin bed, a dresser, a desk and chair and a window that overlooked the play structure. Anna could see several little boys making the climb up to the helm to "steer" their mish-mashed pirate ship. Seeing the boys at such peace, gave Anna the strength to know that things were going to be okay.

* * *

"Where the hell is Tillie?!" Kristoff Alastair Bjorgman shouted from behind the service station. "I've got apps that need plated and mushroom caps to get out of the oven! I can't do this all by myself!"

"Matilda Louise is running an errand for me that couldn't wait," Bulda Bjorgman yelled back at her very large, eldest son. "Adam Carter! Get in here and help your brother until Matilda Louise can get here!"

"Mama, I can't leave the new guy to run the bar by himself. These people are big drinkers," Adam said, going back out to the bar with a second tub of lemons.

"Hello family!" Matilda shouts coming in the back door, Anna in tow. "I've found a new waitress for the event!"

"And who is this?" Bulda asked.

"Mama this is Anna Delano," Matilda said. "She's new in town and needed a friend." Kristoff looked annoyed to have another person underfoot. Matilda and Bulda shared a knowing glance.

"Anna Delano, have you ever worked a wedding?" Bulda asked, throwing the girl a black apron.

"Not recently," Anna said.

"Well, Matilda Louise will introduce you to the rest of the crew and you can help us out tonight. Let's get going, family! Guests are hungry!"

"Bulda," Kristoff said, getting his mother's attention. "That's a Haven girl isn't it?"

"Don't you have mushroom caps burning?"

 _Great another stray_ , Kristoff thought. _She is pretty though._ He got back to work traying up appetizers and finger foods for the wedding guests. Not a lot of time to think about the short, pretty redhead his sister has brought home.


	3. The Party

**The Bjorgman Family (Will be at the top of every chapter mostly for my own reference)**

 **Bulda: The Mother; has a penchant for taking in "strays"; all of her children are adopted; owns a large catering/wedding venue; has a tendency to always call her children by their first and middle name**

 **Pabbie: The Father; does the management side of the company**

 **Kristoff Alastair: 26; The eldest of the bunch; head chef for the company; kinda grumpy but very sweet once you get to know him; is the oldest but last to be adopted**

 **Matilda Louise: 24; The second child; head server; befriends Anna; is of Indian descent; dresses ethnically**

 **Adam Carter: 23; The third child; the bartender; is in college in the city**

 **Grace Leanna: 20; The fourth child; a server with the company; also befriends Anna and encourages her to let Kristoff in**

 **Penny June: 17; The fifth child; a prep cook**

 **Lucy May: 10; the sixth child; likes to color**

 **Junebug Carly: 7; the seventh child; twin of Justin Carl**

 **Justin Carl: 7; the eighth child; twin of Junebug Carly**

 **Stephen Michael: 6; the ninth child**

 **Temperance** **Dawn: 4; the youngest child**

 **Sven: Kristoff's German Shepherd**

 **Anna's World**

 **Anna Marcie Delano: 23; fresh from an abusive relationship**

 **Elsa: Anna's estranged elder sister she hasn't seen in many years**

 **Mrs. Dale: Anna's mother; hypochondriac; kept both Anna and Elsa isolated in fear of germs and disease**

 **Hans Westergaard: Anna's abusive ex she managed to get away from**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 3: The Party

It wasn't the first time Anna had woken up in a sweat, trying to swallow a scream. After nearly three days on a bus, it was strange for Anna to wake up in a comfortable bed, warm and not having someone coughing in her ear the whole time. She was in a small room with yellow wallpaper, far away from Hans. But she had to wonder how long it would last this time. He wouldn't even know she was gone yet. He couldn't know. And if he even did know that she was gone, was he sick enough to come after her? Anna had no way of knowing that and that was worse than any nightmare of the abuse she had suffered at his hands.

The only thing she had to look forward to was Matilda coming out to see her and take her to lunch. Well to the Bjorgman house for lunch but it was better than nothing. At Haven, as Anna learned, meals were communally prepared by those staying. The residents of the house worked together to get laundry done, dishes clean and kids off to school. Anna not having her own transportation was reliant on the others who did to help her get to where she needed to go to. She took what little money she had left and bought a pair of black pants and a white long sleeved blouse and black dress shoes. Interview clothes as Rayna called them. Anna was so small, she didn't really fit anything that was in the donation boxes at Haven.

"Anna!" Rayna called. "Matilda's here!"

Anna smiled for the first time in weeks. She finally had a friend, a friend that wouldn't rat her out to Hans if she strayed from anything that Hans would have found unacceptable. Her last "friend" was another housekeeper at the hotel and she was only Anna's friend because she was trying to get promoted. At the time Hans was the hiring director at the hotel and she thought if she befriended Anna, she would put in a good word for her and Hilary could get out of housekeeping. Well she got out of housekeeping and it wasn't because of Anna's friendship.

"Are you ready for a Bjorgman family barbecue?" Matilda asked, when Anna got in the car.

"I'm not good with crowds but I am looking forward to meeting the rest of your family."

Anna had been introduced to the elders of the Bjorgman family but the younger ones were still a mystery to her. "Mama has a thing," Matilda said. "A thing about names. Once she knows your middle name she will use it. She's done it with all of us kids our whole lives. You'd think we all had double first names."

"It's Marcie," Anna said. "Anna Marcie."

"Don't be surprised if Kristoff doesn't talk to you much. He doesn't talk to anyone except Mom and Dad," Matilda said. "Kristoff, while a nice guy, isn't exactly a people person. He may be the oldest of us Bjorgman kids but he was the second to last to be adopted. He showed up on our doorstep at seventeen, angry and surly. He scared us really. But Mama and Daddy bought him that trailer and he found Sven and a purpose in the kitchen he managed to grow and become more. Trust me Anna, Kristoff is the real deal."

Anna didn't understand what her new friend was telling her. But she nodded anyway. The drive to the Bjorgman house seemed shorter than it was the last time she was there. The last time Matilda brought her home, to Haven, they had finished that wedding Anna's first day in Arendelle. Anna loved working the wedding, it was something she was good at. Waiting tables and serving was something that Anna was very good at. As it turned out she didn't have to look very long for a job. Bulda put her on the payroll that day.

Matilda parked her car on the street in front of her house. Kids were running around and Anna recognized the older of the girls. She had been with Matilda at the library that first day. She tried to recall her name and came up blank. The one thing that Anna never was was shy. Having been so isolated as a child her loved getting to talk to people. After Elsa ran away Anna would volunteer to go into town for her mother. She would talk to just about everyone she met. Waitressing was easy for her because she was so good with people. She was always requested at the hotel restaurant. That was until Hans had her transferred to housekeeping to further isolate her. Day in and day out working by herself, cleaning up after people who had no respect for anyone or anything.

Hans hated that she was friendly and talkative. He would go to the store by himself to keep her from talking to the cashiers. He would order for her to keep her chats with the waiter short. Hell by the end Anna was talking to the telemarketers just to have someone to talk to. Hans wouldn't talk to her except to put her down or use his voice to assert his control over her. She hated it.

"Family!" Matilda shouted over the din in the kitchen. She shouted something in Hindi that made them all stop and look in Matilda's direction. They blinked when they saw Anna standing just behind her.

"Hello dear!" Bulda said coming around the counter and wrapping Anna in her arms. Bulda was almost as tall as Anna and three times her width. Anna all but disappeared in the woman's hug. "Welcome home!"

Home. That was a foreign word to Anna. Home was never a place she wanted to be. Home was never warm. It was always cold. Distant. Unfeeling. Nothing like this place. The laughter of the smaller children chasing after a giant dog. Doors slamming. A house that was a home. More people arrived and soon the party was shifted outside. Anna stuck close to her new friend. She felt ashamed of where she was living and didn't want anyone to find out she was a Haven resident. She didn't want to lie about where she came from but she didn't want to tell the truth either. So she just avoided talking about herself. No matter where she went with Tillie, as she was called by everyone but her mother, she could feel someone's eyes on her. Anna stuck close to her new friend. She felt ashamed of where she was living and didn't want anyone to find out she was a Haven resident. She didn't want to lie about where she came from but she didn't want to tell the truth either. So she just avoided talking about herself. No matter where she went with Tillie, as she was called by everyone but her mother, she could feel someone's eyes on her. Every time she walked past the grill to snag yet another chunk of grilled watermelon.

Kristoff kept his eyes on Anna throughout the whole barbecue. There was something about Anna that kept drawing him to her. She could feel his eyes on her every time she walked past the grill. Kristoff watched the pretty, slim, petite redhead. She was reserved and quiet, at least from what he could tell. She was the kind of girl that he usually dated, when he dated. Kristoff was a private guy and that was difficult to maintain when he lived in a house with a revolving door. Between his siblings, their friends, his parents' friends and clients and not to mention all the strays his mother liked to take it, it's a wonder Kristoff stayed at the house. If it wasn't for the Airstream trailer behind the house, he would probably run away.

Anna. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She seemed nervous to be around so many people. Like she had been isolated for a long time. If she was a Haven resident, it would make sense why she just appeared in Arendelle. Why his mother welcomed her with open arms. Why she was becoming the best of friends to his sister. But if she was a Haven resident then there were certain rules that he had to follow to be around her. She couldn't date him until she completed her counseling and was no longer living at the house. But then again she was his sister's friend. And dating his sister's friends was never a good idea in his book. Because people who were friends with the Bjorgman family never left, he was forced to see them even after the relationship ended.

Kristof managed to pull Matilda aside when she attempted to snag the last piece of grilled watermelon. "Tillie, what's the story on that new girl Mom has brought around."

"Her name is Anna and if you want to know, you're going to have to talk to her yourself," Matilda said. "Besides she's a Haven girl. She can't date until she's out of the house."

"I know that. But I'm not looking to date her," Kristoff said. "She's your friend. I learned that lesson after Miranda Lynn."

"But she was horrible to you. I doubt that Anna would be."

"Why do you want Anna and I together so badly? I barely know her. You barely know her."

"Trust me. She needs the honest goods and you're it."

Some time later, Anna always helpful, offered to carry in the dishes from the patio into the kitchen. Not used to the terrain, Anna lost her footing on a stray football and the stack of plates she was carrying hit the floor shattering.

"Job opening," a voice in the kitchen said, startling her more than she already was. Kristoff came around the kitchen island to help Anna clean up the shattered plates.

"I'm so sorry. I'll clean it up," Anna said, her voice shaking, breathing slowly, like she was anticipating something much worse.

"It's not a big deal," Kristoff said, getting the broom out of the pantry. "In this house, there are more broken plates then whole ones. It's okay." He reached out to touch her shoulder, to calm her down and she recoiled. "Anna?"

She ran out of the room and Kristoff stood there broom in hand even more confused about the girl.


	4. An Unexpected Swim

**The Bjorgman Family (Will be at the top of every chapter mostly for my own reference)**

 **Bulda: The Mother; has a penchant for taking in "strays"; all of her children are adopted; owns a large catering/wedding venue; has a tendency to always call her children by their first and middle name**

 **Pabbie: The Father; does the management side of the company**

 **Kristoff Alastair: 26; The eldest of the bunch; head chef for the company; kinda grumpy but very sweet once you get to know him; is the oldest but last to be adopted**

 **Matilda Louise: 24; The second child; head server; befriends Anna; is of Indian descent; dresses ethnically**

 **Adam Carter: 23; The third child; the bartender; is in college in the city**

 **Grace Leanna: 20; The fourth child; a server with the company; also befriends Anna and encourages her to let Kristoff in**

 **Penny June: 17; The fifth child; a prep cook**

 **Lucy May: 10; the sixth child; likes to color**

 **Junebug Carly: 7; the seventh child; twin of Justin Carl**

 **Justin Carl: 7; the eighth child; twin of Junebug Carly**

 **Stephen Michael: 6; the ninth child**

 **Temperance** **Dawn: 4; the youngest child**

 **Sven: Kristoff's German Shepherd**

 **Anna's World**

 **Anna Marcie Delano: 23; fresh from an abusive relationship**

 **Elsa: Anna's estranged elder sister she hasn't seen in many years**

 **Mrs. Dale: Anna's mother; hypochondriac; kept both Anna and Elsa isolated in fear of germs and disease**

 **Hans Westergaard: Anna's abusive ex she managed to get away from**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 4: An Unexpected Swim

"Anna!" Kristoff shouted after her as the small woman ran out of the kitchen, away from him. "Anna, it's okay."

Anna rushed past her friend and out the door of the house, tears streaming down her face. Matilda heard the heavy footfalls of her brother behind her and she stepped into his path and crossed her arms staring at him. "What did you do?" Matilda demanded.

"I didn't do anything," Kristoff argued. "She tripped and dropped a bunch of the catering plates and when I told her it was no big deal she ran off. I tried to comfort her and she cowered from me."

"You're such an idiot," Matilda said, jabbing her brother in the shoulder. "What part of Haven resident did you forget? You reacting at all to what happened is what caused her to freak out. She probably thought you were going to yell, scream or whatever her piece of work ex used to do to her."

Kristoff looked out to the backyard and saw Anna running towards the water. He should have known. With all the strays that his mother took in, he should have known that there was something about Anna. He should have known. Kristoff rubbed the back of his head and looked at his sister.

"I really messed up didn't I?" he asked.

"Fix it," Matilda said, pointing to her friend.

Anna sat on the edge of the dock hugging her knees to her chest. She wished this was the worst humiliation she had endured but Hans held that title. The tears she refused to shed after The Incident, began to fall. She hugged her knees tight and let the tears fall.

 _Hans threw his briefcase across the living_ _room and it exploded on making contact with the wall. Anna knew then that she was in for a rough night. How rough she wouldn't know until it was too late. She served him his meal, sitting across from him. His chiseled features, handsome and charming, were stone, unshifting in mood and expression. Anna had never seen him this angry before. She was terrified to even speak more than absolutely necessary. She knew if she tried talking to him to calm him down she'd only make it worse. Hans had a way of spinning her care and concern for him to her being patronizing and condescending towards him._

 _"Aren't you even going to talk to me?" Hans demanded._

 _"I didn't think you'd want to hear anything I have to talk about."_

 _"Don't you start, Anna."_

 _"Don't start what? I'm here Hans. I'm here and I want to share our lives together. But you'd rather be with that..."_

 _He slammed his fist down on the table. Anna jumped in her chair, looking down at her plate. She had gone too far. She knew it._

"Anna?" a voice behind her said.

Startled, Anna jumped, forgetting she was sitting on the very edge of the dock and tumbled into the water. Kristoff, having come out to apologize for freaking her out, jumped in after her. The water wasn't that deep but deep enough for the startled and disoriented Anna to sink to the bottom. Being not a strong swimmer, she began to panic. Clawing at the water, she fought her way to the surface, only to be caught in strong arms, cradled against a hard and warm chest.

She and Kristoff came out of the water, coughing and sputtering. She's clinging to Kristof's big frame, thankful that he was there. Blue eyes meet brown. She lays her head against his chest as he carries her with ease up and out of the water. Having seen the commotion from the house, Bulda, Matilda, Adam and the ever present yet silent Pabbie come running down the hill to the pair. Bulda and Matilda fuss over Anna, wrapping her in their arms and completely ignore their son and brother. The two women lead Anna up to the house and she looks back over her shoulder and gives Kristoff a grateful smile.


	5. Opening Up

**The Bjorgman Family (Will be at the top of every chapter mostly for my own reference)**

 **Bulda: The Mother; has a penchant for taking in "strays"; all of her children are adopted; owns a large catering/wedding venue; has a tendency to always call her children by their first and middle name**

 **Pabbie: The Father; does the management side of the company**

 **Kristoff Alastair: 26; The eldest of the bunch; head chef for the company; kinda grumpy but very sweet once you get to know him; is the oldest but last to be adopted**

 **Matilda Louise: 24; The second child; head server; befriends Anna; is of Indian descent; dresses ethnically**

 **Adam Carter: 23; The third child; the bartender; is in college in the city**

 **Grace Leanna: 20; The fourth child; a server with the company; also befriends Anna and encourages her to let Kristoff in**

 **Penny June: 17; The fifth child; a prep cook**

 **Lucy May: 10; the sixth child; likes to color**

 **Junebug Carly: 7; the seventh child; twin of Justin Carl**

 **Justin Carl: 7; the eighth child; twin of Junebug Carly**

 **Stephen Michael: 6; the ninth child**

 **Temperance** **Dawn: 4; the youngest child**

 **Sven: Kristoff's German Shepherd**

 **Anna's World**

 **Anna Marcie Delano: 23; fresh from an abusive relationship**

 **Elsa: Anna's estranged elder sister she hasn't seen in many years**

 **Mrs. Dale: Anna's mother; hypochondriac; kept both Anna and Elsa isolated in fear of germs and disease**

 **Hans Westergaard: Anna's abusive ex she managed to get away from**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 5: Opening Up

It had been about a month since the house party and Anna was having a rough time. Kristoff would barely look at her. It's hard to be a prep cook/server when the chef can't even form sentences in their presence. But given her history, Anna wouldn't approach Kristoff first for fear of angering him.

Not talking and avoiding was Kristoff's MO. Having grown up bouncing from family to family before finally landing with Bulda and the clan, he was shy, quiet and didn't talk to anyone for a very long time. He didn't want to treat Anna like she was this fragile, breakable thing. He knew that was the last thing she needed. Having been abused himself, a story he would never tell his mother or even his sister, he knew that healing would take time and time was something he was good at giving people.

Kristoff flopped down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Anna's face, her haunted glances back at him during the event. Her red hair in two long braids. The easy way she seemed to have found place with his sisters Tillie and Grace. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. Then a grunt as something slightly heavy landed on him. He opened his eyes to see the youngest member of the Bjorgman clan. His four year old daughter Temperance Dawn; Tempe or even Arizona for short. Her long blonde curls stuck out of the pigtail braids Penny June and Lucy May had done up for her earlier in the day. Tempe was the best thing in his life, even though how he came to have her wasn't the best story. One that he truly kept to himself.

"Story Daddy?" Temperance Dawn asked. "Story with me?" She held out a thick book of fairy tales. The leather bound book was huge, with oil painted panels of all the classic stories. The old book was Tempe's favorite.

"Of course Muffintops," Kristoff said, sitting up and adjusting the toddler in his lap. "What story do you want to read tonight?"

She opened the heavy book and flipped through the pages until she found the art to the story she wanted. "This one!"

"Ah, the Twelve Dancing Princesses," Kristoff said. "Once upon a time in a kingdom far away there lived an old king and his twelve beautiful daughters. The princesses loved to dance and every morning their dancing shoes would be worn through. No one in the castle could understand it."

Their story was interrupted by the shouting of the four younger kids chasing each other through the living room. Lucy May, the ten year old was being chased by the twins Junebug Carly and Justin Carl, age seven. On their heels, feeling left out was six year old Stephen Michael. Adding to the cacophony is Sven, Kristoff's dog chasing the four kids, sliding clumsily into the wall when he loses the grip on the carpet.

"Yo! What did Mom say about running in the house?" Kristoff yelled over the shouts.

"Umm, not to?" Justin Carl said, a toothless grin on his face.

"Out!" Kristoff said, pointing for the backdoor.

"I play too, Daddy?" Tempe asked, looking at her aunts and uncles.

"What about our story?"

"Later."

And she's off. She toddles after them, the frilly pink and purple tutu bouncing as she runs off. She grabs a fairy wand from the basket by the door along with a set of wings. A child that beats to the sound of her own drum. Kristoff smiles and lays back again, his thoughts drifting from Temperance Dawn to Anna Delano. In his quiet observation of her, he can tell she's been hurt and hurt bad. The extent he'll never know until they can actually she more than short passing sentences.

* * *

"Anna, I know you enjoy working with the Bjorgmans, but I am concerned that you're falling back into a pattern of allowing things to happen to you instead of taking control for yourself," Rayna said, during one of their sessions. "You are allowing yourself to be sucked into this family unit and you focus should be on healing and taking your power back."

"Rayna, I really like them. For the first time, I have a friend my own age. I have a job where I'm not looking over my shoulder or walking on eggshells."

"For that I am so glad. But remember, you come first."

"Thanks Rayna."

Matilda was waiting for her when she came out of her therapy session with Rayna. "Come on. Kristoff's making dinner for everyone tonight. Mom wants you to come."

"Oh Tillie. I don't think I should. I really need to focus on me and getting better for me."

"But that doesn't mean you can't eat, right? Kristoff's making his mushroom and shrimp risotto and cream brûlée."

"That does sound really, really good," Anna said.

Matilda smiled at her and nodded. "It is really, really good."

"Fine."

Anna signed out at the desk and went to Matilda to the car. That was the next thing Anna was saving up for. She missed not being able to come and go easily. A bike or even a scooter would make getting from Haven to her job easier. Her first focus was on finding somewhere to live after she finished her program at Haven. She couldn't stay there forever, nor did she want to. What she wanted to was to reclaim her life and be her own person for the first time in her whole life. Free from the control that her mother and Hans had wrought. Freedom. That's what Arendelle meant the most to Anna. Freedom.

* * *

"Yo! Everyone grab a plate!" Bulda shouted over the noise of all of her children, their friends and the barking of Sven. On any given night the Bjorgman clan could have a minimum of five to seven extra people in the house for dinner. They had an open door policy and any of the kids' friends could come and go at all hours of the day or night. While at times it could be overwhelming, to Anna it was paradise. She loved the noise and the thundering of feet. She watched Kristoff in the kitchen serving his family. He was so at ease. Usually when she saw him he was gruff and all business. But here at home, she could see what Tillie was always talking about.

Kristoff served up a small plate and the youngest of the clan ran right up to him, took her plate in both hands and carried it over the the little table just to the left of where Anna was seated in the living room. The little table seemed to be handmade. The little girl's name, Temperance Dawn, was carved into the edging around the table.

"Daddy made this for me," Temperance Dawn said to Anna.

"It's very nice," Anna said. Temperance Dawn left her plate on the table and climbed up on the couch and into Anna's lap.

"Tillie says fairies live in the trees behind the house," Temperance Dawn said, matter of factly. "They only come out at night. Daddy says we can catch one tonight. You come too, okay?"

"Okay," Anna said, a smile on her face.

"Tillie says that if you catch a fairy, you get to make a wish," Temperance Dawn said.

"What are you going to wish for?"

"New crayons."

"Tempe, eat your dinner please," Tillie called over to her. "Before it gets cold."

"Okay Tillie." And as quickly as she climbed up, Tempe was down and sitting at her table, eating her dinner.

Anna took her empty plate to the kitchen where Kristoff was standing by the stove eating his share. Anna took a deep breath and decided that she needed to make the first move.

"Thank you for making dinner," Anna said, quietly. "It was really good."

"You're welcome, Anna," Kristoff said. "Glad you liked it."

There was an easy quiet to them. She didn't know what to say to him aside from small talk. "Thank you, by the way, for jumping in after me that day."

"Couldn't very well let you drown."

Anna smiled for a moment. "Yeah. Um, Tillie said you went to a really good culinary school."

"The Le Cordon Bleu in New York. I was taught by some of the best in the business. I plan to open my own place here, once I get enough money saved up. But for now, I'm happy to help Mom with her catering and wedding business."

"That's great, Kristoff. I always wanted to do big things like that but never was given the opportunity."

"That's what Arendelle is," Kristoff said. "A place for opportunity."

"I'm starting to see that."


	6. Finding a Place

**A/N: A giant huge thank you to Frenzy5150** **for her help in breathing new life into this story. Without her brainstorming and help, I would have deleted this story and made sure no one ever talked about it again. So thanks for that. As always please, if you read it, leave a review.**

 **The Bjorgman Family (Will be at the top of every chapter mostly for my own reference)**

 **Bulda: The Mother; has a penchant for taking in "strays"; all of her children are adopted; owns a large catering/wedding venue; has a tendency to always call her children by their first and middle name**

 **Pabbie: The Father; does the management side of the company**

 **Kristoff Alastair: 26; The eldest of the bunch; head chef for the company; kinda grumpy but very sweet once you get to know him; is the oldest but last to be adopted**

 **Matilda Louise: 24; The second child; head server; befriends Anna; is of Indian descent; dresses ethnically**

 **Adam Carter: 23; The third child; the bartender; is in college in the city**

 **Grace Leanna: 20; The fourth child; a server with the company; also befriends Anna and encourages her to let Kristoff in**

 **Penny June: 17; The fifth child; a prep cook**

 **Lucy May: 10; the sixth child; likes to color**

 **Junebug Carly: 7; the seventh child; twin of Justin Carl**

 **Justin Carl: 7; the eighth child; twin of Junebug Carly**

 **Stephen Michael: 6; the ninth child**

 **Temperance** **Dawn: 4; the youngest child**

 **Sven: Kristoff's German Shepherd**

 **Anna's World**

 **Anna Marcie Delano: 23; fresh from an abusive relationship**

 **Elsa: Anna's estranged elder sister she hasn't seen in many years**

 **Mrs. Dale: Anna's mother; hypochondriac; kept both Anna and Elsa isolated in fear of germs and disease**

 **Hans Westergaard: Anna's abusive ex she managed to get away from**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 6: Finding a Place

With the ice broken, Anna found it easier to talk to Kristoff while they were working. They stayed late one night rolling Asian meatballs. The kitchen for the company was in the basement of the Bjorgman's house so it wasn't that hard for Kristoff to be home and at work at the same time. When it was just Kristoff in the kitchen, he did away with the "soft rock/office" music his mother liked to listen to and changed it to the hard rock station. Kristoff liked his music loud, ragey and lyrically indiscernible. Anna on the other hand, enjoyed, calming hymns that her mother, when in a good mood, would sing and play on the piano.

 _"Come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise,_ " Anna softly sang while rolling the meatballs between her hands. " _Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love._ "

"What's that your singing, Anna?" Kristoff asked, pulling his earphones out.

"Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," Anna said, taking a second tray. "My mom used to sing it all the time. At least when she was in a good mood and not locking herself in her room for days at a time."

"It's pretty," Kristoff said. "Bulda doesn't really sing. She's more of a shouter."

"I think in another life, Mom would have been a singer. But her crippling fears made it hard for her to even leave the house."

"What is it that you wanted to do? I'm sure being a cater-waiter isn't your goal in life."

Anna didn't have an answer for that. Because of her lack of a proper education, she didn't have a lot of choices. Housekeeping, waitressing or retail was the only job she could get without having a high school diploma or her GED. She had a dream once of owning her own cafe, where everyone would love to hang out. But any dream she had was shot down by him.

"I don't really know. I was never given an opportunity to find my thing."

"What do you like?"

 _Talking to you. Because you don't treat me like I'm going to break at any moment._ "I don't really know. I was so sheltered from so much that it's hard to know if I like something just because I didn't get to see or do anything else."

"Well, guess we're just going to have to find something you're good at then," Kristoff said with a smile.

"Daddy?" a little voice says, opening the door to the basement kitchen. Temperance Dawn pushed through the door and toddled over to her father, dragging a blanket and bunny behind her.

"Tempe, what are you doing up?"

"Scary lady," Temperance Dawn said, rubbing her eyes, holding her arms out for Kristoff.

"What scary lady?" Kristoff said, hugging her to his big chest.

"She had black hair," Temperance said. "Tried take me."

"It's okay. Daddy's here for you. Always."

The little girl wrapped her little arms tight around Kristoff's neck, burying her face in his neck. Nothing else in the basement kitchen mattered to Kristoff in that moment except to comfort his little girl. He held her tight, whispering in her ear. She smiles and kisses his cheek. Temperance's eye catch Anna and she holds out her arms to Anna. Tempe looked so scared that Anna's heart broke.

"Come here bug," Anna said. Temperance Dawn wrapped her arms around Anna's neck. Anna continues to hum the hymn she was singing earlier, rocking Temperance back and forth. Kristoff stood by uneasily. Anna was the first person outside the family that Temperance Dawn reached out to. First at dinner the other night and now. He crossed his arms over his broad chest, smiling to himself.

"Okay Tempe, come on. I'll take you back to bed," Kristoff said, holding his hand out for his daughter. Temperance kissed Anna on the cheek.

"Thank you for the song," she said. "Bunny Bunny liked it."

"You and Bunny Bunny need to be back in bed."

"Night night," Temperance Dawn said, waving back at Anna. Anna waved back, smile on her face. Once she was alone it dawned on her. All this time she had spent at the house in the last month or so she just assumed that Temperance Dawn was the youngest kid that Pabbie and Bulda had adopted. It never occurred to her that she was anything else. She sat down on the stool, her mind reeling as the idea seeped into her brain. Does Kristoff having a little girl change anything about how she feels about him? Does Temperance being Kristoff's change anything about how she feels about the little girl? And for the second time in her young life, Anna made a choice that was all about her. The first choosing to run away from Hans and his crap. And the second, nothing changes. Kristoff and Temperance Dawn were a set. She couldn't have one without the other.

"Anna? Are you okay?" Kristoff asked, coming back into the basement kitchen seeing her sitting there on the stool deep in thought.

"Yeah. I think I am. I had no idea that Temperance Dawn was yours."

"We've been through hell, her and I. I do my best to be a good father to her, but the damage done to her..."

She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "You don't have to tell me. She seems so happy."

"It's taken a long time. But thank you."

* * *

"It used to be Matilda Louise's but she doesn't use it anymore," Bulda said, dragging the mint green bicycle out of the cluttered and stuffed tight garage. "This reminds me to get the boys to clean this thing out again. I wanted to convert it to a functional outdoor kitchen/prep room for the catering company but When one has a baseball team for a family, it's hard to get anything thrown away."

The bike was in worse shape than what Bulda had originally thought when she mentioned to Anna that Tillie had an old bike she could use to get around town. With her program nearly complete at Haven, Anna was anxious to find a small cottage that she could rent and start to make her life hers again. She wanted her piano back. Humming the hymns the other night while working with Kristoff and their conversation about finding things she liked sparked her love of music. She was a decent piano player. Mrs. Delano, during her good days taught Anna to play. She was by no means ready to audition for the Philadelphia Philharmonic, she could maybe play at fancy hotels during their happy hours or meal times. Mood music, Mrs. Delano used to call it.

"Maybe Kristoff Alastair could make some adjustments on the bike for you Anna Marcie," Bulda said, more to herself than to Anna.

Anna found that Bulda talked non-stop. She was always chattering away and she learned that if Bulda Bjorgman wanted your attention she'd use your full name. There was one day she was so flustered after a particular rough event that it took her nearly a minute to get through the list of names before she got to the right one. Tillie said that sometimes in the time it took Bulda to come up with the right name, the guilty party had high-tailed it out of there and she'd forget why she was even angry to begin with.

Dancing her way down the path to the garage was Temperance Dawn. Today she was wearing yellow rain boots, a yellow tutu over purple leggings, a long white shirt and her usual fairy wings. Her long curls were flying in the midsummer breeze. She didn't even see Anna and Bulda, just twirled her way down the path to the swing set.

"It's a wonder she's as carefree as she is," Bulda said. "After what that girl..."

Anna swallowed hard. She mad a promise to herself that unless Kristoff offered up any information about his past, she wasn't going to ask. But she knew she was going to hear things and she didn't want to pity him any more than she wanted him to pity her.

"Kristoff Alastair wouldn't want me telling you this," Bulda said, recovering herself. "But you should know this, that little girl is his whole world. If anything were to ever happen to her, we'd lose him and we'd never get him back."

Anna nodded, watching Temperance out of the corner of her eye. Her hands instantly went to her own belly. The Incident playing out in her mind.

 _She felt the slap before she had time to duck. The back of his hand met her lower jaw and it felt as if her whole face was going to come off. He grabbed her_ _by the back of her head, fistful of her hair, pulling her off the chair and dropping her to the floor. She couldn't find her voice to scream to make him stop. Anna didn't feel the first kick to her side at first. Her fear and adrenaline kicked in and she tried to roll away from him. His foot came in contact with the center of her stomach, knocking the breath out of her, she could almost feel her ribs crack at that one. Grabbing her hair Hans lifted her to her feet and slammed Anna against the wall, holding her there by her throat._

"Anna Marcie? Dear, are you okay?" Bulda's voice broke in. The tears were streaming down Anna's face, faster than she could make them stop. Bulda took Anna into her arms and let her cry. "Mama's got you sweet one. Mama's got you."


	7. Safe Places

**A/N: A giant huge thank you to Frenzy5150 for her help in breathing new life into this story. Without her brainstorming and help, I would have deleted this story and made sure no one ever talked about it again. So thanks for that. As always please, if you read it, leave a review.**

Unbreak You

Chapter 7: Safe Places

Anna sat in the shade of the garage watching Kristoff oil the chains on her new (to her) bike. Temperance Dawn was digging in the dirt next to her, convinced that the fairies left her a special charm to ward off the Scary Lady. In reality, Tillie and Grace Leanna, buried pieces of antique charm bracelets all over the yard and garden for Temperance to find. Sometimes Lucy May or Junebug Carly will find them first and the older girls will have them put them back for Tempe to find. It was something they started when Tempe was three, after they got her back. It gave her something she could do that was just hers and no one could tell her it was stupid.

"So a little birdie told me that you're thinking about getting your GED," Tillie said, sliding next to Anna on the bench near the garage.

Anna looked over at Kristoff who just shrugged. He wiped his brow getting chain grease on his chin. His white tank top was smeared with dirt and grime. It took all Anna had to not stare at his bulging biceps and the rippling pecs, hidden beneath the thin material of his shirt. His blonde hair was sticking to his forehead in the heat of the late afternoon. He wore long shorts and tight white tank top. Every girl's dream of a southern boy

"I was thinking about it," Anna said. "My mother homeschooled me when she was lucid and on her medications but I don't have that much of a real education and it's hard to get a job when you don't have that to back you up."

"That's very true," Tillie said. "If you need a study buddy, I was the valedictorian of my class."

"And a modest one too," Kristoff teased. "Matilda Louise fussed and fussed over her grades during her entire tenure," Kristoff said, teasing his sister. "If she didn't get an A she would walk into her class and talk her way into the perfect grade."

"I did not!" Tillie argued. "I merely stated my case and maybe once-"

"Try more like thirteen times."

"Played up the 'poor little orphan' card," Tillie said, sticking her tongue out at her brother. "But hey, I graduated with a 4.0."

"That's really great, Tillie," Anna said. "My sister Elsa was really smart too. I just hope that wherever she is, she made something of herself."

It was the first time that Anna mentioned her sister Elsa outside of her therapy sessions with Rayna. Elsa had run away a long time ago and never looked back. She never even came back for Anna, even though she had promised her that she would. Anna always thought that Elsa had been taken in by a kind family or group of traveling artists and just couldn't get back. She never wanted to think that Elsa just left her there. Left her in the care of an unstable woman whose mood could turn in the blink of an eye.

"You have a sister?" Tillie asked, surprised. She knew her friend wasn't one to offer personal information so freely so it was a shock to hear her mention a sibling.

"She ran away when I was twelve, I think. She was a lot older than I was and couldn't take being with Mother anymore," Anna said.

"Anna! Anna look what I find!" Temperance Dawn shouted coming around the corner. She held out her grubby little hand to reveal a unicorn charm. "The fairies leave these for me to find."

"That's great Tempe," Anna said, smiling at the little girl. Temperance Dawn was wearing her typical outfit consisting of a tutu of varying colors, leggings, t-shirt and her blonde hair in two pigtails. The pink and purple tutu was covered in mud, the knees of her leggings worn through and sand creating a second layer of freckles on her little face.

"Good Lord Tempe," Kristoff said shaking his head at his little girl, crossing his large arms over his chest. "Did we have a bit too much fun digging?"

"Always, Daddy," she said, smiling up at him.

It didn't take much for his gruff demeanor to fade and he just shook his head. "Go see Grandma and she'll hose you off. I'll be in soon." He looked over at Anna and gave slight sigh. "I'm not going to be able to get your bike finished today."

"That's okay Kristoff," Anna said with a smile. "You're first priority is to Temperance Dawn." Being around Bulda had rubbed off on Anna. With the exception of Tillie and Kristoff, most of the family she fell into the pattern of calling them by their first and middle names.

Kristoff smiled at Anna and nodded. Tillie caught Anna looking away with a blush. The interaction wasn't lost on Tillie who tried to hide her own smile. She hoped her brother would find someone special to share his life with. Even more so after the disaster that was Miranda Lynn. Tillie hid a great amount of guilt about his two and a half year relationship with Miranda Lynn because she had pushed them together. While her brother didn't blame her for anything that happened, he put all that on Miranda Lynn, she still felt guilty. So to turn her karma around and make amends she was determined to find a proper soulmate for her brother and a proper mother for her niece.

"Anna, can I ask you something?" Tillie asked.

"Sure."

"Do you like my brother?"

Anna stared off in the direction of the front porch watching Kristoff leaning down to scoop up his little girl. "Yeah I do."

* * *

Anna sat on the colorful carpet of the children's section of the library. Temperance Dawn sat on her lap singing along with the librarian. Anna had volunteered to take Temperance Dawn to her story group while Kristoff and Tillie were prepping for an event at the mayor's home.

" _When you open your mind all the thinks you will find, trying to get loose_ ," the kids sang.

At first Anna felt very unsure of herself taking Temperance Dawn to the library. She hadn't been around that many little kids in her life and she didn't want anything to happen to Temperance Dawn. Kristoff was trusting her with his little girl and for Kristoff that was a huge deal. Temperance Dawn was his whole world and Anna knew it.

"Anna?" Temperance Dawn whispered in her ear.

"What is it Tempe?" Anna whispered back.

"I have to go potty."

The pair slip out of the story group and out to the main part of the library towards the back corner where the restrooms are. Temperance Dawn held tight to Anna's hand, much like she had the entire walk to the library. Anna discovered that Temperance Dawn didn't like to just walk, she had to dance, skip and look at just about everything they passed. She pointed to funny looking clouds, displays in the shop windows, the caterpillar climbing the tree by the library's porch. Anna loved her wonder and curiosity. She never wanted Temperance Dawn to lose that.

Temperance Dawn stopped short, leaving Anna to crash into her. The little girl was frozen in fear, shaking and gripping Anna's hand tightly. "Tempe, what's wrong?"

"Scary," Temperance Dawn said, her little voice lost of all that made her her. "Scary Lady."

Anna looked up and saw a woman, about her and Tillie's age thumbing through a stack of books. She had long dark hair, dark eyes and was wearing surprisingly bright colors. When Anna had first thought of Temperance Dawn's Scary Lady she imagined this witchy looking woman, a more severe version of Stevie Nicks. Knowing full well how Temperance Dawn was feeling, they backtracked around her and made sure that she was between Scary Lady and Temperance Dawn.

They didn't return to the story group after their bathroom break. Temperance Dawn was too upset. She held her arms up for Anna to carry her and she was more than pleased to assist. Temperance Dawn rested her head on Anna's shoulders and she could hear the little girl crying. Anna's heart broke for her and she did the only thing she could think of to comfort the little girl.

" _Fear not, little flock, from the cross to the throne, from death into life He went for His own; all power in earth, all power above, is given to Him for the flock of His love. Only believe, only believe; all things are possible, only believe; only believe, only believe; all things are possible, only believe,_ " Anna sang softly, a hymn she used to make herself feel better after Hans would be a total jackass to her.

"I want Daddy," Temperance Dawn whimpered, nuzzling her face into Anna's neck.

"I know. We're almost home."

They came around the corner to the house and Anna saw Kristoff standing on the porch getting some air. The summer heat was stifling and being trapped in a hot kitchen was the least pleasant part of being a southern chef. One look at Anna carrying Temperance Dawn and he knew something was wrong. He leapt off the porch and ran to them.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice panicking.

"Scary Lady," Temperance Dawn sobbed, holding her arms out for Kristoff. "Scary Lady at the story."

"Oh my God, that fucking..." Kristoff swallowed the anger, seeing how freaked out Anna was. "Thank you Anna. For getting her out of there." He cupped her cheek in his hand, caressing her. "Thank you."

* * *

"We haven't been able to convince Temperance Dawn to go back to her story group," Anna told Rayna a week later during her therapy session. "I hate that she's lost her safe place. The library is both of our safe places and she ruined it."

"I am proud of you Anna," Rayna said. "You took an action. An active role."

"I'd do anything to protect Temperance Dawn," Anna said. "I made that decision when I agreed to take her to her story group that day. I know she has a whole family looking out for her and that what I did the other day probably doesn't mean as much but I felt good, being able to help. Something I have never been able to before."

"I have a feeling that it meant more than you know."

* * *

Kristoff rocked his daughter to sleep like he had for the last week. The pile of blankets and pillows on the floor had been his bed because he didn't dare leave her alone for more than absolutely necessary. He laid her down in her bed, tucking the blankets around her. He was running ragged. He wouldn't let anyone else take care of Temperance Dawn. He didn't want to risk her running into Miranda Lynn without him there again. He was grateful to Anna for getting her out but she never should have been in that position. Temperance Dawn was his daughter and he should be the one taking her places. He needed to take a step back from running the catering company with Bulda and turn it over to Tillie. His place was with Temperance Dawn. At least until he could know for sure that she was going to be okay.

He shut the door to Temperance's room. He needed a shower, to change his clothes. To call his lawyer to make sure that Miranda Lynn couldn't get past her restraining order again. To think about the way Anna looked at him when she brought Temperance back. Anna was as scared as Temperance was. She held Temperance to her like she was the most precious thing the in the whole world. It warmed his heart but Miranda Lynn was dangerous and he never wanted to put Anna in that position again.

"You're such an idiot," Tillie said to Kristoff's back.

"What have I done now, Tillie?" Kristoff asked.

"Pushing Anna away," Tillie said. "She adores you and Tempe. What is your problem?"

"I can't put her in the middle of my battle with Miranda Lynn."

"Anna is ten thousand times the woman Miranda Lynn will ever be. Kris, I don't want to see you push Anna away because you're afraid."

* * *

"How have things with Kristoff been since the library?"

"He's been distant, like it was in the beginning."

"Have you tried talking to him? Making the first move?"

"I have never been really good at that," Anna said, hugging the pillow to her chest.

"Well, in this situation, I think it's for the best. He needs to know that you care about him. That Temperance's fears didn't drive you away."

"Never. I love that little girl."

"Then tell him that."

* * *

"I'm not afraid. I'm a father."

"And Anna understands that. Kristoff Alastair, she wouldn't be here if this was all too much for her. The two of you need to freaking talk to each other. You get close and then something derails you again."

"Why do you care so much about this? What are you getting out of it?"

"I just want to see my brother happy."

"I am happy."

"No. No you're not. Kris, you're miserable. But you're not when Anna is around. You should see yourself. You smile, you laugh. You're better with her."

"I'm no good for her. She needs someone who will-"

"Who will what? Treat her like the wonderful person that she is?"

"Who can give her the world."

Tillie crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at her older brother. "You're such an idiot."


	8. The Street Fair

**A/N: A giant huge thank you to Frenzy5150 for her help in breathing new life into this story. Without her brainstorming and help, I would have deleted this story and made sure no one ever talked about it again. So thanks for that. As always please, if you read it, leave a review.**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 8: The Street Fair

Anna laid in her bed replaying over and over what happened when she and and Temperance Dawn came back to the house after seeing Scary Lady. Anna refused to call her by her rightful name. Someone who can strike such fear into the heart of a little girl doesn't deserve to be called by their real name. Temperance Dawn clinging to her father with all her might and Kristoff's hand on her cheek. Kristoff's hand on her cheek in love. He touched her with love. Something she hadn't felt in a very long time. But why? Why had he reacted like that? He doesn't like her. They're barely friends. Anna decided that it was nothing more than his way of being kind about taking care of Temperance Dawn.

Anna enjoyed having her bike. It gave her that bit of independence she had been searching for since she was a child. She wasn't dependent on Tillie to come get her for work. She could get there and back to Haven on her own. And the thirty minute ride it took to get to town and back was enough time for Anna to contemplate things. She formed her plan in her head. She was on step six. She was starting over. Starting fresh. On her way into town she always passed a very small cottage. It wasn't much but it looked cozy. She asked Rayna about it and Rayna said it belonged to Old Man Hitchins, the oldest resident in Arendelle. The cottage was a part of his plantation that housed Haven and the gas station. The main house was tucked back in the willows by the water but this cottage was something that wasn't being used except as an overflow for Haven. It would cost Anna four hundred dollars a month in rent but the utilities would be included since they were connected to Haven's.

Passing the cottage she smiled at the other thoughts that came to her. Mostly Temperance Dawn. That little girl awoken a desire in her that she didn't know she still had. The scars on her lower belly reminded her of what she couldn't have. What he took from her. But Temperance Dawn, she had a giggle that Anna would remember forever. She reminded Anna of what her life could have been if her mother hadn't gotten sick.

She rounded the corner and parked her bike against the Bjorgman's fence, mixing her green bike in with the five others that belonged to the rest of the house. Her first order of business was to talk to Kristoff. She couldn't put it off anymore. She needed to know. To understand. She found him, alone in the basement kitchen.

"I need to talk to you," he said before she could say anything. "It has been brought to my attention that I am an idiot."

Anna smiled and looked down. "I do remember Tillie saying something of that nature."

"I'm sorry about the other day," Kristoff said. "I touched without your permission and I shouldn't have."

"No one has ever touched me like that before."

 _No one? No one has ever caressed your cheek and told you how beautiful you are?_ Kristoff rubbed the back of his head and looked over Anna's head, trying to find the right thing to say that wasn't what he was thinking. "Really? Wow. Bulda's a hugger. And a kisser. Whether you wanted to be hugged or not."

"With my mom, she had...issues. So hugs weren't a thing." Anna looked down at the floor. "Come to think, the last hug I had was a few weeks ago from Bulda. I was crying and..."

"Well, while Bulda has an amazing Mom hug, there's something about hugging someone who..."

"You like? A lot?"

"Yeah."

 _Warning! Warning!_ An alarm sounded in Anna's head. Kristoff's large frame was very close to her now. Her heart bean racing and she was getting nervous. Not that Kristoff was going to hurt her, like he did. He'd never do that. But that something was about to happen that was going to change everything. And she wasn't ready for that.

"I wish I knew you before," Kristoff said, his voice low. _If I could cut through time, I'd hold you close, make you mine._

"I should get to work. Bulda wants the napkins rolled and ready to go before we pack up."

She slipped away from him and up the stairs to the dishes and prep room. Once she was out of his sight she leaned against the wall and let our a sigh. Well she told him. Sort of.

* * *

"Daddy, you should make dinner for Miss Anna," Temperance Dawn said, while he was tucking her into bed. "You should make her mac and cheese with frog legs."

"Tempe, frog legs and mac and cheese? Really?" Kristoff asked.

"Aunt Tillie said that girls like Miss Anna like funny foods like frog legs."

"What kind of girls is Aunt Tillie talking about?" Krsitoff made a mental note kill his sister for putting ideas in his daughter's head.

"The fancy ones from Chaz-town," Temperance Dawn said with a nod.

"Like the ones at wedding last night?"

"Aunt Tillie says that Miss Anna is a fancy lady and she likes fancy things."

"Well that may be true. But Tempe, no one likes frog legs."

"Justin Carl does."

"That's because Justin Carl is gross."

"Can you sing me a song, before sleep Daddy?"

"What song do you want?"

"That pretty one Miss Anna sings."

Of course she'd want that one. "I don't know any of Miss Anna's songs. Maybe when you see her next you can ask her to teach you."

"Okay, Daddy," Temperance Dawn said. "I like it when Miss Anna takes me to story. I want to go back again."

Kristoff smiled. "Okay monkey."

"I'm not a monkey."

* * *

Anna laid in her bed staring up at the ceiling fan twirling round and round. Her thoughts swirled just as much. Should she have let Kristoff hug her? She liked him. She all but told him that. But she was still afraid. Hans had started out the same way. Kind and caring. Putting her first. Making the same promises.

All her life Anna was starved for attention. On her mother's good days, they would sit at the piano and sing from the white leather bound hymnal Paulette Delano was given at their small church just after Anna was born. Her sister Elsa was six years older than Anna was and had been through her mother's ups and downs before. She and Anna had different dads, neither of which stuck around. Elsa's father came back to them when Anna was two and stayed for a year. After that, there was no stable man in their lives. Except for God and to Anna he was kinda a dick.

 _He held her against the wall, his grip_ _tightening around her throat cutting off her air. Anna whimpered and pleaded with him to let her go. To stop. Anything._

 _"Hans, stop. Please. Please stop. I'm pregnant!" Anna choked out, trying to get him to listen to her._

 _"You stupid bitch," Hans sneered. "Can't be mine. You've been screwing that busboy in the walk-in." He slapped her again, backhand across the face. "Get rid of it. Or I will."_

 _"There has only been you! Only you. I have been nothing but faithful and here! You're the one who's fucking everyone!"_

 _"Wrong answer Anna."_

 _The last thing Anna remembered was feeling Hans's boot kick her hard in the stomach, a searing pain and then waking up on the floor of the dining room, him nowhere to be found._

* * *

"Miss Anna!" Temperance Dawn shouted, running out of the yard as she saw Anna riding towards the house. "Miss Anna!"

Anna parked her bike against the fence and knelt down to greet the small girl. She had a rainbow painted on her left cheek and a fairy riding a unicorn on the right. The streets had been overrun with the people of Arendelle out and about for the annual street fair. The Bjorgman's had their food truck out, allowing those who haven't had the opportunity to have a taste of Kristoff's cooking would be able to. It was all in effort to get more people to book parties at their venue. Anna, Kristoff and Adam Carter had the first shift on the truck. Adam Carter and Kristoff doing all the cooking, Anna sharing the goodies to the passing residents.

"Look how pretty you are!" Anna said, accepting the tight hug from Temperance Dawn. Lucy May, Junebug Carly, Stephen Michael and Justin Carl were racing down the street, Penny June trying her best to keep up with them.

"Anna!" Penny June called to her. "Can you go trade places with Tillie? I need her help with these monkeys."

Temperance Dawn stamped her little foot at stuck her tongue out at Penny June. "I am not a monkey!"

"Apparently, Tempe doesn't want to be a monkey anymore."

"Temperance Dawn, if you're not a monkey anymore, what are you?"

Temperance Dawn smiled at Anna and whispered in her ear. Anna laughed and nodded. "Okay. I won't tell them. It'll just be our secret."

Penny June laughed and caught Stephen Michael by the straps of his overalls to keep him from darting in front of someone on a Segway. Temperance Dawn and Anna walked hand in hand down the street to the food truck. Anna kept an extra tight hold on Temperance Dawn's hand as she didn't want to lose the little girl in the crowd.

"Garlic knots! Stuffed garlic knots! Tandoori chicken and curry! Tikka masala!" Tillie shouted holding out a tray of bite-sized portions of what they were serving that day. "I swear it's not that spicy!"

"I think we need some lemonade to go with all this hot stuff," Anna said, coming up to her friend.

"These people just aren't adventurous with their taste buds," Tillie said. Today she was wearing a pink and white long cotton tunic and pink cotton leggings. Her long black hair in a single braid down her back. It always shocked Anna to hear Tillie yell at Kristoff in both English and Punjabi, her first language.

"Well, I'm here to trade places with you," Anna said. "Penny June is about to rip out her own hair."

"Tempe, are you going to stay here with Daddy?" Kristoff called down from the truck.

"I help Miss Anna," Temperance Dawn answered.

"I'm sure we can sell more with this face helping us," Anna said.

Temperance Dawn pulled on Anna's shirttail. She knelt down and whispered in Anna's ear again. The action wasn't lost on Kristoff. The fact that Tempe was bonding to Anna was so good. After what Miranda Lynn did, Temperance loving any woman was a sign that the worst was behind them.

"Temperance Dawn wants to know if she can get a snowcone," Anna said. Temperance Dawn whispered again. "Preferably cherry and bubblegum."

Kristoff gave the pair a stern glance. "Please, Daddy?" Temperance Dawn said with a pout.

"That's better." He reached into the till and took out a twenty. "Get her whatever she wants. And if someone has it, could you grab me a Corona? It's stifling in here. And Anna, get something for yourself. Don't worry about it."

Anna takes the money and smiles up at Kristoff. The money in her hand was more than Hans had ever let her hold onto in the entire time they were together. When they would go out Hans would never let her carry money or drive. Anna didn't even have a driver's license. On her list of things that she's planning to change now that she's free of him, being able to drive is top on the list. Maybe Kristoff would be willing to help her with that.

"Miss Anna, where are the snowcones?"

"I don't know Temperance Dawn. Let's look around a little bit."

Anna and Temperance Dawn wandered through the fair, taking little samples of just about everything that was offered. By the time they reached the snow cone stand Temperance Dawn wasn't interested. Instead they both got a bottle of water and realized she didn't have a proper ID to get Kristoff the Corona he wanted. Instead she got him the energy drink she knows he likes.

"I was beginning to think you both got lost in the crowd," Kristoff said when they got back to the food truck. "Is that all you got?"

"By the time we got to the snowcone stand we had too many yummy samples that we weren't hungry anymore," Anna said. "I forgot my ID so I couldn't get you the Corona you wanted."

Anna looked down at the can of Red Bull and her face clouded, a fear crossing her face. "Hey is that a raspberry Red Bull?" Kristoff asked. "That's perfect. How did you know they're my favorite?"

All fear washed away from Anna. She looked into the truck window and gave Kristoff a big smile, a smile that Kristoff had been longing to get since he saw it the first time. Anna's smile was so much like Temperance Dawn's. He would find a way to always make her smile.

* * *

It was entirely too late for Anna to ride her bike back to Haven. All of his brothers and sisters had friends over after the street fair and their wasn't a spare space on the floor so the only option was for Kristoff to drive Anna home. With Temperance Dawn as their chaperone of course. The little girl, despite being completely pooped out, insisted on taking Miss Anna home with Kristoff. In a matter of minutes of sitting between Anna and Kristoff, Temperance Dawn was sound asleep.

"I had fun today," Kristoff said, breaking the silence. "She really likes you. And that's big, for her."

"May I ask, what happened? Tillie and Bulda said some things but never really got into detail."

"Miranda Lynn kidnapped her. I couldn't find them for six months," Kristoff said. "I could have killed her when I got Tempe back. I would have had it not been for Bulda and Pabbie."

Anna could only imagine what horrors Temperance Dawn had endured at the hands of that woman. She stroked her hair, brushing a curl out of her face. "I'll do my best to live up to her love."

 _You already do._ The lights of Haven shone like a beacon in the darkness. The old truck rumbled and bounced down the dirt road and came to a stop. "Well you're home."

"Thanks for the ride," Anna said. "And thanks for today. I haven't had that much fun in a long time."

Kristoff nodded. _God she's beautiful._ He leaned forward. "The door tends to stick." Gripping the handle of the door he gives it a pull and the door opens. "Umm, Tempe's birthday is coming up and I know she'd love for you to be there."

"Of course." His face was so close to hers. Close enough to kiss hm. If she was the one to make the first move, which she wasn't.

"When are you moving out of Haven?" Kristoff asked.

"Why?"

"Because I want to make you dinner. And I can't, if you're still living there. The rules."

"The rules. Can be broken occasionally."

"Anna, I'm going to cup your cheek now. And then I'm going to kiss you."

His hand reached out and carefully caressed her cheek in his hand. And at that moment a small sneeze came from Temperance Dawn, breaking the magic of the moment.

"I should go. Good night Kristoff."

"Good night Anna."


	9. Temperance Dawn Turns Five

**A/N: A giant huge thank you to Frenzy5150 for her help in breathing new life into this story. Without her brainstorming and help, I would have deleted this story and made sure no one ever talked about it again. So thanks for that. As always please, if you read it, leave a review.**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 9: Temperance Dawn Turns Five

"You really don't have a lot of stuff do you?" Kristoff said, helping Anna move into the cottage.

"I took what I could when I left. I took what I had to have," Anna answered. "Everything I have came from the donation box at Haven."

"I'm sure you'll find some way to make this little place your own."

Neither acknowledged the night after the street fair. Neither wanted to be the first to say anything about it. In fact Anna wished she could stop thinking about it. She didn't want anything to change. But for Anna, everything was different now. It was out there that he wanted her. Wanted to be with her. And that terrified her. While she also liked Kristoff and adored his daughter, she wasn't ready. She wasn't even in the same zip code as ready.

"How do I tell him that I'm not ready for anything more than just his friendship?" Anna asked Rayna during her last therapy session.

"You just do. Be assertive Anna. Don't let Kristoff dictate the terms of your relationship. That is the number one reason why we don't allow our residents to be in relationships while they are living here," Rayna said.

"I like Kristoff. I like being around him. He's calming."

"Remember Anna, he has his own demons, that you haven't seen yet. I want you to be careful."

"I'm not planning on jumping into anything until I'm ready. And if that takes another five years then that's what has to happen."

"I hope you don't wait that long. But I can understand your hesitancy."

"I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like with the drink thing. I was so sure he was going to start yelling and telling me how stupid I am for getting him the wrong thing. Not getting him what he asked for."

"Anna, has Kristoff ever given you the indication that he would do that?" Rayna asked. "That he would even consider that as an option?"

"No."

"Kristoff Alastair Bjorgman would never do anything like that ever, Anna. Ever. I know he hasn't and more than likely won't tell you anything, but he's been just as hurt."

Anna nodded. While she didn't like the idea of keeping secrets, Hans was a master at them until his luck ran out, she knew that Kristoff's had to be hard for him to share and she would agree to not push until he was okay with it. She had her fair share secrets that she was unwilling to tell him but as her trust for him grew she could see herself telling him the darkest of her dark past.

"I am afraid of something about being in a relationship again," Anna said.

"What are you afraid of Anna?"

"That I won't be able to give him a family. That it would just be him and I."

 _Anna managed to crawl to the phone, her whole body screaming in pain. Her side ached and she was having trouble breathing. She was cramping to the point of tears. She knew she was losing the baby. She called 911 and waited to hear the worst._

Rayna's heart broke for Anna. The young woman had been through so much in her young life. She was twenty-three years old and had to have an emergency hysterectomy. He ruined her and it was going to take a long time.

"For the right man, Anna, it won't matter."

"I can only hope."

"You really don't have a lot of stuff to move," Kristoff said, opening the door to the little cottage.

"I took what I could when I left," Anna said. Kristoff and Temperance Dawn were helping her get the small cottage set up. It was furnished so Anna didn't have much to set up other than move a few pieces around to be more homey. What sold Anna on the little cottage was the piano in the corner. It was badly in need of tuning and a few repairs. All things that could wait until she had some more money saved up.

Bulda, Tillie, Grace Leanna and Penny June burst into the cottage, each carrying a grocery sack. "Calvary's here to load up your kitchen Anna Marcie," Bulda said directing her other children to various sections of Anna's house. "Got you enough to last at least a month or two."

The bags of groceries would last Anna at least a month, considering how little she ate. It had taken awhile to get her appetite back, to retrain her brain after the abuse and control Hans had over her. Anna would wait for Bulda and the others to leave before she rearranged her cabinets and drawers. The whole family was being so helpful she didn't want to be ungrateful.

"Anna MArcie!" Bulda called, crooking her finger in Anna's direction. "Pabbie and I bought you a phone. It's a prepaid and you have enough for at least a few months. We don't want you out here all by yourself without a way to contact anyone." The short woman handed Anna a small phone. "I programmed mine, Matilda Lousie's, Kristoff Alastair's and of course Rayna, Susan and the main house and the venue numbers."

"Thank you Bulda," Anna said. She felt a bit better knowing she had a phone. One that couldn't be traced or used to find her.

"Anna, Grace and I are going to stay here with you tonight," Tillie said. "We have to christen the house properly."

Kristoff laughed to himself and shook his head. He had other ideas for how he and Anna could christen the house. It involved candles, a home cooked meal and a fire roaring in the fireplace. And it ended with him holding Anna all night. Ever since he almost kissed her, his dreams were filled Anna. Her smile, that elusive thing that only seemed to show when Tempe was around. The haunted sadness of her eyes when she looked at him. He longed to unbreak her and make her whole again.

"Miss Anna!" Temperance Dawn said, pulling on her shirttail. "I made you a picture for your new house."

Anna scooped up the little girl in her arms so she could better see the picture. "And who all is in this picture?" Anna asked, pointing to the three stick figures. One was very tall and a swirl of yellow on what was probably a head. The second was a much shorter figure with yellow sticks coming out of the head. The third as taller than the middle figure but not as tall as the first.

"That's Daddy," Temperance Dawn said. "That's me and that's you. We're all on a picnic."

Anna's eyes welled with tears. It was the most precious thing Anna had ever been given. She went right to the fridge and let Temperance Dawn decide where to stick it. Not matter what happened, that picture would be on her fridge forever.

* * *

"So Anna," Tillie said, after downing the second bottle of wine she and Grace Leanna had brought over that night. "When are you going to go on a date with our brother?"

"Tillie!" Grace Leanna chided. "You can't just ask her that."

"They have been playing this game for too long now. You're not living at Haven anymore," Tillie said. "You should take the leap."

This was the first time Anna had girlfriends to have drinks with, She liked it. She remembered always wanting to have friends and evenings like these growing up and once she was with Hans. He had her schedule and wouldn't allow for any extra time to to be social or to make friends with the other servers to housekeepers.

"Anna, why are you holding back?" Tillie slurred. "He's perfect for you."

"I am far from perfect for him, Matilda Louise," Anna said, using her friend's full name for the first time.

"Yes you are Anna. Even Temperance Dawn thinks so," Grace Leanna said. "I haven't seen him this happy in a long time."

"That has nothing to do with me," Anna said, reaching for a pillow. "Don't get me wrong. I adore Kristoff and Temperance Dawn. Your whole family has been everything I have ever wanted. You all have been so kind and giving. I don't want to lose that."

"I don't know about the rest of them, but you'll never lose me," Tillie said. "Anna, you're better than when I found you scared out of your skin at the library."

"All I ask is that you let whatever is going to happen between Kristoff and I happen naturally. Stop putting ideas in Temperance Dawn's little head."

Tillie raised her hands innocently. "I haven't done a thing."

"You always were a rotten liar, Matilda Louise," Grace Leanna laughed, wine spurting from her nose. "Ow. That one hurt."

Anna handed her friends napkins. The three young women put in a romantic movie and spent the rest of the evening sighing over the story and love of two idiots. Grace Leanna and Tillie passed out on the couches in the living room and Anna went back to her little bedroom. She hadn't been in the room since before Kristoff and the rest of the family left several hours ago. Sitting on her pillow was a single white rose. There was a small index card underneath the flower.

 _Sleep in peace tonight Anna. Welcome home. K_

* * *

Kristoff and the family went all out for Temperance Dawn's birthday party. It was the first birthday she'd had since being returned to them. It was going to be a celebration with the eighteen children from her preschool class. While Bulda and Kristoff didn't ask her to work on anything for the party Anna did. She put up balloons, streamers and even made a big banner. She liked decorating and making things look just so. Temperance Dawn deserved it and she was going to make sure that it was going to be the most perfect day.

WIth everyone busy getting things ready to take over to the venue, Anna made herself available for the birthday girl. Bulda had made Temperance Dawn a pretty new dress to wear for her party. It was lavender in color and had embroidered butterflies all over the skirt. Bulda said she stayed up most of the last few months just to get the stitching done. Over the embellished satin, was a cream colored tulle with more butterflies. Temperance Dawn's back was to Anna and along her shoulders Anna could make out four or five small circular scars. _Cigarette burns_ , Anna thought, the tears welling in her eyes. There were other scars on the little girl, some matched the ones that Anna bore herself. The bile rose in her throat to think that the person who was supposed to be her mother would do this to a child.

Anna helped Temperance Dawn into her dress and hugged her tight. It took all she had to not openly sob and frighten her. She swore if she ever saw Scary Lady again it would take more strength than she had to keep from attacking her.

"You okay, Miss Anna?" Temperance Dawn asked, looking up at Anna. Anna blinked away the tears before the little girl could see them.

"You just look so pretty, Papillon," Anna said, calling her the new name they discussed days earlier. Temperance Dawn decided that since she was no longer a monkey, she wanted to be a butterfly. And Anna was more than happy to call her one, and they used the French word because it sounded prettier. At least that's what Temperance Dawn said.

Along with her birthday dress, Temperance Dawn wore purple butterfly wings that had bells and streamers dangling from the wings. She took Anna by her hand and pulled her through the house and down to the basement kitchen. Kristoff was putting the finishing touches to Temperance Dawn's birthday cake before transporting it to the party. It was four tiers, covered in lavender fondant and sugar worked butterflies on thin wires.

"Holy crap," Anna gasped. "Now that's a cake."

"Seventeen hours of work and counting," Kristoff said, spinning the base on the turntable to finish piping on fancy roses.

"All that for a birthday party?"

"She's worth it."

"Yes she is."

"Can I help Daddy?" Temperance Dawn asked, pushing a stool closer to her dad and the cake.

"Not in that pretty new dress Grandma Bulda made for you," Kristoff said. "Why don't you and Anna head over and wait for your friends? I'll be done here soon."

Temperance Dawn nodded and Anna held out her hand to take it. The pair left Kristoff to finish his daughter's birthday cake. Kristoff was a mystery to her that she hoped would someday open up to her. Everything she knows about him has been told to her. She wished he would talk to her. Be open with her. Share something with her.

"Miss Anna?" Temperance Dawn asked as they crossed the street to the reception hall.

"Yes my little papillon?" Anna said.

"Do you like my daddy?"

"Yes I do. He's my friend."

"Daddy likes you too," Temperance Dawn said. "He told Grandma that you're the prettiest girl he's ever met."

Anna wasn't sure if this was factual or if it was something Tillie had told her to say. She pushed it from her mind and turned the conversation. "Are you looking forward to your party?"

"I hope that Lily Templeton isn't coming," Temperance Dawn said.

"Why do you say that?"

"She's a meanie. She calls me names and makes me feel bad about myself."

Anna could feel the fire rising in her belly. "What kind of things does she say to you?"

"You believe me?"

"Of course I believe you, papillon. Why wouldn't I?"

"I tried to tell. I tried..."

"When you were with Scary Lady?"

Temperance Dawn nodded and wiped away a little tear that trickled from her eyes.

"Papillon, I will always believe you," Anna said, squatting down to her level. "Have you told Kristoff or Bulda about this?"

"No," Temperance Dawn said.

"Why not?"

"I don't want Daddy to worry."

Anna gathered Temperance into her arms for the second time in less than an hour. The things this little girl has endured and she's worried about making her father worry? Anna would take care of this. "Papillon, if you see Lily, I want you to come get me right away. Even if I'm talking to another grown up."

"Okay Miss Anna," Temperance Dawn said with a smile.

They were the first partygoers to arrive at the reception hall. Everything was perfect, just the way Anna had left it. Most of Temperance Dawn's friends were starting to arrive. Anna kept her eyes peeled for Lily and her mother, hoping she might be able to intercede on her behalf so Kristoff won't have to.

One by one the kids that were in Temperance Dawn's preschool class arrived. The little girls were dressed much like Temperance Dawn, like little butterflies and fairies. The few boys that were in attendance looked like they were only there because their mother's made them. Tillie and Grace Leanna were manning the face painting booth while Adam Carter and Penny June were setting up different games and activities. Lucy May and the younger kids were at the tables setting out coloring pages and the bundles of crayons that Anna spent an hour and a half rolling. Bulda and Pabbie were in the kitchen getting the food ready. They had made all of Temperance Dawn's favorite foods. Mac and cheese, pigs in a blanket and of course butterfly cookies.

"Incoming!" Kristoff shouted at the back door. "Somebody get this door before I drop this cake!"

Anna slipped through the swinging doors and carefully opened the back door making sure to not hit Kristoff or the cake. "Thanks Anna."

"You're welcome. When you get a minute, I need to talk to you," Anna said, her voice low. "It's about Temperance Dawn."

"Is she okay?" Kristoff asked, looking out over the partition.

"Later, okay?"

Kristoff was concerned but understood that if Anna said it could wait, it was worth it. He set up the cake to much fanfare from the kids. Temperance Dawn was the most excited. She kept smiling at pointing at the cake. It was the most excited Anna had ever seen her. That was until the last guest arrived. Snooty Lily Templeton and her equally snooty mother. Anna hung back to see if the little girls would work things out on their own. But it wasn't the girls that Anna heard. It was Mrs. Templeton talking to another mother.

"If it wasn't for you and Clarissa being her Marnie, Lily wouldn't have come," the woman said, unaware that Anna was behind her. "I don't approve of Lily being around these people."

"The Bjorgman's are great, I don't understand what the problem is, Helen?" the other woman said.

"Marnie, don't tell me you really let Mark and Nathan play over there? We have no idea where those kids have come from."

"I see two people who have taken in kids that no one else wanted, Helen. Shut up."

"And that Temperance," Helen continued. "There's something wrong with that girl."

That's it. Anna's heard enough. "Excuse me, I hate to overhear but what's wrong with Temperance Dawn?" Anna asked, stepping in front of the two women.

"Who are you?" Helen Templeton asked, looking Anna up and down.

"A friend of Temperance Dawn's and the Bjorgman family," Anna said, smiling politely. "You have _no idea_ what that little girl has been through. The fact that she's terrified to tell anyone that your child is bullying her for no reason, other than your perceived prejudice, is disgusting. I suggest keeping your mouth shut about things you don't understand. Be thankful your children are home with you and you know where they are."

Without letting the woman getting another word in Anna walked away from her and over to Temperance Dawn. They played hopscotch and musical chairs. The two girls, Lily and Clarissa, watched from the sidelines, unwilling to join in the fun. Anna felt bad for them and tried to get them to join in the fun to no avail.

"Who's ready for cake?" Bulda calls out to the kids.

They all cheer and rush to the tables. Kristoff carries out Temperance Dawn's cake and sets in the center of the table. Five large sparklers fizzle and shine in the darkened room as everyone begins to sing happy birthday to the happy little girl. Kristoff helps Temperance Dawn cut the first slice before letting Bulda dish out the rest.

Anna was waiting for him in the kitchen. She looked at him differently. Like something inside her had changed.

"What is it Anna?"

"Papillon is being picked on at school," Anna said, twisting her fingers in her hair.

"What? Why didn't she tell me? Or Bulda?" Kristoff asked, not really to Anna but to himself.

"She didn't think anyone would believe her," Anna said, reaching for his arm.

"Goddamn it, Miranda," Kristoff cursed. Her touch was gentle, calming. The rage he had felt building was cooling. Cooling at her touch. It wasn't to manipulate him like hers would have been. Anna's was reassuring, loving. "Thank you for telling me. Is that what you were talking to Helen and Marnie about?"

"Yeah. Helen was talking shit about the family and I told her off. Sort of."

"Oh Anna." His hand found the curve of her cheek, his thumb caressing. "Please?" His arms wrapped around her. Whatever the reason she was brought here, he knew it was for his Temperance. She was an angel brought here to bring them both out of the darkness. To be there for them. He had to show her, show her how much it mattered to him.

Anna nodded, her eyes closing as she felt his lips on hers for the first time. It wasn't rough and controlling. It was soft, gentle and full of longing. His large arms wrapping around her slim frame. Anna's arms found their way around his neck. Neither wanted to break away but it was Anna. Anna broke away first. As much as she wanted him, deep inside she heard a cruel laugh. That angry, hateful laugh. She gasped, putting her hand to her mouth and slipped out around him and out the back door.


	10. Girls Night Out

**A/N: This chapter was a collaborative effort between frenzy5150 and I. She has been such a huge help in making this story what it is! Much love! As always please leave a review!**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 10: Girls Night Out

Anna stood outside the reception hall, her arms wrapped around herself. She was so confused. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to be kissing Kristoff. To be with him, like that. No matter how much she may want to. Not like this. It wasn't right.

Kristoff stood for a moment at the door. At first he was confused, a touch irritated, and more than a bit hurt. Every time he got close, she would bolt. But seeing her hunched over and trembling, all that vanished like smoke. "Anna?" Kristoff soft voice called out to her. "Anna, talk to me."

"I'm sorry," Anna whispered, wiping at her face. "I-I shouldn't have done that."

"Anna, please. Hey, talk to me."

"I can't. It's too much." Tears pooled in her eyes. "Once you know, it'll all change and you won't want me anymore."

"You can't possibly know what I want," Kristoff said, inching closer to her. "Please, talk to me. Let me help you."

"Please, I-" she sighed. "Don't touch me, Kristoff. Please."

"It's okay Anna," he held his hands wide, signalling his compliance. "I'm right here. I'm not going to hurt you. I could never do that. I want to heal your pain. Don't be scared, let me in." Kristoff stood close but not too close. He wanted her to know that he was there but wouldn't make a move until she was ready for him to do so. Nothing she was going to tell him was going to change the way he felt about her. Nothing.

She looked up at him, anguish and shame in her eyes. Her mouth worked, trying to get some words out, but nothing came. She clutched herself tighter, trembling. God, it actually hurt not being able to comfort her. Anna looked so small, so afraid. He had to do something.

That pain spurred him to open himself up, if only a little. "I was offered an internship in New Orleans, five years or so ago," Kristoff said quietly. "I was with her, and she saw it as her ticket out of Arendelle. She got me stupid drunk in celebration and we slept together. That's how Temperance Dawn was conceived. She used me. She planned it. She got pregnant on purpose so I would have to take her with me."

"But you stayed?"

"Yes. The internship was unpaid, so I would've had to work a second job too just to support myself. New Orleans is expensive and I would barely have time to sleep, let alone be with her and a baby. When I found out she was pregnant I turned it down and stayed to help Bulda build the business here so I'd have more time for her and the baby. A Le Cordon Bleu trained chef is a big deal to prissy-pants brides who want magazine quality meals for their weddings," Kristoff explained. He held out his hand to her but Anna didn't take it. "Miranda Lynn didn't think I would stay here in Arendelle. She thought we'd have this super awesome, glamorous life in the Big Easy. Me, her and the baby."

Anna wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked at his out stretched arms, unsure if she should fall into them. He was opening up to her. In ways she never thought he would. The wall around her heart was starting to crumble.

"When I told her that I was going to stay for the baby and be the chef for Bulda she flipped out. Told me she would abort the baby because she didn't want it. She only wanted a way out of Arendelle."

Temperance Dawn. She wanted to abort that beautiful baby. "Oh she'd never actually do it," Kristoff said, seeing the horrified look on her face. "She just wanted to hurt me. Everything she said or did was to hurt me. She trashed the trailer Pabbie took a loan out to get for me, so I could have a home for my child. Spray painted it with horrible things. She'd talk trash about me and the family to anyone who'd listen. I had to drag her out of bars when she was pregnant. What little money I could afford to give her, she'd blow on cigarettes or beer, which I had to throw out when I brought food over to her place. When Tempe was born, Bulda and Pabbie encouraged me to legally keep Miranda Lynn from her. But I couldn't. I remember before my parents divorced they argued over me all the time. Used me to get back at the other. I didn't want that for Tempe." He took a breath, looking at Anna, her kind blue eyes. She inched closer to him, closing the gap between them. "But I wish I had. I should have. Miranda Lynn kept her from me until Tempe was three months old. She just dropped her on Bulda's doorstep one night. Barely bundled and so tiny, she... she wasn't being fed." Kristoff's voice caught in his throat, like he was trying to keep himself from crying. "Tempe had marks around her arms and bruises on her chest where Miranda Lynn held her so hard and shook her to keep from crying."

Anger simmered in her belly. She knew Miranda Lynn had abused Temperance Dawn she just didn't know it had started when she was only an infant. Bile rose in her throat. How could anyone do that to a child? To their child?

"I've been trying for a long time to heal from what she did to us," Kristoff ran a shaking hand through his hair, then held it out to her again. "I won't insult you by saying that I know what you've been through, because I know it was probably ten times worse, but I know how bad it can be."

Her watery gaze lingered on his outstretched hand. "I don't trust myself," Anna whispered. "What I feel, for you, can't be real."

He cocked his head, urging her to go on.

"Everyone I've ever loved either used me, left me, or hurt me. My mother, my sister, Ha... him." Her eyes slid shut and she hung her head. "You know what the sick thing is? I thought it was normal. The fear, the insults, the bruises... I had no idea it wasn't normal. After a while, I even believed I deserved it. That it was all I was ever going to get."

"Anna..."

"He laughed at me, derided me. I would tend his house. He'd yell at me. I would make his food. He'd curse me and spit in it. If I was good at something, he'd take it away. He'd laugh, and he'd grab me, he'd hit me, a-and he'd m-make me..." she shuddered, her whole body quivered with revulsion. "It was bad enough when he held me down and took what he wanted, but when he tried to be gentle and I wouldn't respond he'd beat me until I blacked out, and I'd wake up covered in blood."

Kristoff struggled to remain still, fought like mad to control the rage boiling in his gut. He hadn't felt such a strong urge to end someone since Miranda Lynn took Temperance Dawn from him.

"And when I told him I was pregnant..." she whimpered, hugging her arms tighter around her body. "I woke up in the hospital. I lost the baby, and he was laughing at me. Told the doctors I was a klutzy fool of a girl who fell down the stairs. They believed him of course, and they laughed too. And then he took me home again...Back to that prison." She took a breath, wiping away the angry tears. "It's only been a year since it happened," Anna whispered, tears falling freely now. "I still hear his laugh in my head. I had to leave. If I stayed I know he would have continued. He would have kept cheating and telling me it was my fault. Hurting me. Over and over and, and now I'm ruining Temperance Dawn's birthday with my stupid..."

"Anna, no!" he cried out. "Don't use his words about yourself. You're not stupid, you're amazing. After everything you've endured, you have so much light and love in you. You're not ruining anything."

"I don't even know what love is, Kristoff. I don't even know what normal is."

"I didn't either, but I'm learning. I want to help you learn too. Will you let me?"

She met his gaze, searched his face for those telltale signs of anger, disgust, and rage. She found nothing but caring, empathy, and something more she couldn't identify but was desperate to know. She fell into his arms, clutching his shirt. He was more than willing to hold her for as long as she needed it.

She began to sob, holding onto his large frame for dear life. He became a lighthouse, guiding her out of the darkness. He was right. There was something about being held by someone you care deeply about. They slid down together into the yard. Kristoff adjusted Anna's small body so she was nestled in his lap, his arms around her, holding her close to him, letting her cry. He starts to lessen his grip because he feels like he's holding Anna too tightly.

"No please," Anna whispers. "Don't let me go."

"Never."

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Anna asked Tillie.

"Yes," Tillie said, tilting Anna's face to check her work. She was helping Anna with her makeup for a Girls Night Out. Tillie's favorite place, Legion, was having a big karaoke night and she needed a night out. She convinced Anna and Grace Leanna to come with her. Safety in numbers, Bulda's rules for her girls. If they wouldn't take Kristoff or Adam Carter with them, they had to go together and stay together. No exceptions. "Legion is a local bar and Marcus the bouncer is a friend of Kristoff's. He'll watch out for us."

Anna was still apprehensive. She and Kristoff were at a crossroads in their relationship. Her heart wanted more but her mind kept telling her to wait. That she wasn't ready. That she needed to keep him at arms length. But then he'd smile at her from across the service station at the venue and she found herself smiling like an idiot. He hadn't asked to kiss her since Temperance Dawn's birthday party. But he did walk her home every night. With the summer ending and fall setting in, he didn't like her riding her bike alone in the dark.

"Do me a favor?" he asked one night.

"Anything."

"Keep this on you at all times," he said, handing her a few keychain sized canisters of pepper spray. "It'll give me peace of mind knowing you can protect yourself if I'm not around."

Anna nodded and put the canisters into her bag. "Thank you."

Anna sat back from Tillie's vanity and really looked at herself. There was a glow to her cheeks, a brightness to her eyes. She looked happy. Tillie let her dig through her closet of salwar suits, saris and even cholis and lehengas (skirt and top.) Tillie decided on a red and gold sari while Anna chose a green and gold dress. Grace Leanna wore a black dress and red heels.

"Now girls," Bulda said as they were getting ready to leave. "Please stay together. Don't drink too much and if you get into trouble please call me or Kristoff Alastair. We will come get you no questions asked."

"Yes Mama," the three girls chimed. Anna was a mixture of nervous and excited. It was the first time she was going out with friends. She never had that before. She was excited to be a semblance of normal.

"Aunt Tillie, Auntie Grace you look so pretty!" Temperance Dawn exclaimed seeing them from her coloring table. "Miss Anna!"

"Yes Papillon?"

"You look pretty too. You should take Daddy with you," she said, standing up and rushing over to Anna. Anna knelt down next to Temperance Dawn who whispered in her ear. "He's been really grumpy today."

"You tell him he can't be grumpy because he has a little papillon to keep him company."

The little girl giggled and ran off to search out her father.

"Hey Anna?" Tillie said. "What's that word you keep calling Tempe?"

"Papillon," Anna said. "It's French for butterfly. She told me she didn't want to be a monkey anymore. She wants to be a butterfly."

Temperance Dawn came around the corner, dragging Kristoff by the arm. It was quite comical. A tiny butterfly dragging a bear into the kitchen. He stops and stares at Anna. Her hair is down around her shoulders, the green and the gold in the dress making her absolutely perfect. Of course he doesn't tell her that. Not in front of his mother, daughter and sisters. His words of love are for Anna's ears only.

"Karaoke starts at seven," Tillie said, a smile on her face, seeing how her brother was looking at Anna. "We should be home by midnight."

"If you go anywhere else, please call or text me," Bulda said. "No exceptions."

"Yes Mama," the girls said. Tillie and Grace Leanna are the first out of the kitchen. Kristoff catches Anna by the elbow and tilts his head towards the alcove between the kitchen and living room.

"What is is Kristoff?" Anna asked, confused.

"Be safe."

"I will."

"Anna? Can I kiss you, before you go?"

Anna smiles, looks down and nods. "Please."

Smiling, Kristoff cups her cheeks in his hands and softly presses his lips to hers. It's gentle and caring and Anna responds in kind. Her arms wrapping around his neck. She surprised herself by how willing she was to let him kiss her like this. To kiss her at all. Kristoff was just happy that she wasn't trembling against his touch anymore. On their walks home in the evenings he would hold her hand. At first it was only for a few minutes but now she would hold his hand for the entire walk. She would leave him at the gate now he could walk her to her door. Anna hated when he left and couldn't wait to see him again.

She pulled away from him remembering that her friends were waiting for her. "Be safe, Anna. Call me if you need me."

"I will. I promise."

* * *

"I'm a Barbie giiiiiiiiirl, in a Barbie woooooooorld," Grace Leanna half sang, half screamed into the microphone. Anna and Tillie sat in the audience cheering her on.

Anna was having a good time. Legion, while loud and fairly grungy in appearance from the outside, was surprisingly nice inside. There were several round tables on the wood floor, and a small stage set up for karaoke. Dozens of TVs hung from various corners of the bar, broadcasting many different sporting events. In one corner were several pool tables, the clacking of the balls blending in with the off-key singing of the other karaoke patrons. She, Tillie and Grace Leanna had finished off two bottles of a cheap chardonnay and started a bottle of merlot.

"So what was with that grin you had on your face after we left?" Tillie asked, sipping on her wine. "And don't say nothing because it's definitely something! I've noticed the private moments you and my brother have been having."

"By that description Tillie, they are private," Anna said. "Right now it's something I am taking very slow and I don't want to mess anything up."

"But you have kissed him right?"

"On Papillon's birthday," Anna smiled. What she wouldn't tell her best friend was the freak out she had after it happened. She wouldn't tell her that Kristoff held her for nearly a half hour while she cried. She wouldn't tell her how his arms felt around her. How safe she felt. How she dreamt of his arms holding her tight, protecting her always.

"And you're just now telling me?!" Tillie exclaimed. She swore in Punjabi and the group of stupid boys behind them started laughing.

It was just their luck that a group of drunk frat boys took up the empty table next to them. Anna could feel their eyes on them and it made her skin crawl. She reached into her bag and gripped the canister of pepper spray that Kristoff had given her. Just knowing she had it helped calm her down.

"Welcome to 7-11, all Slurpees half off," one of them said in a poorly created Indian accent.

Tillie heard them and turned around and told them off in Punjabi. Anna heard Tillie swear enough under her breath during events that she understood a few of the words she was calling them. She smiled to herself and laughed slightly at the nerve Tillie had. Having had her fun Tillie turned back to Anna.

"Hey bitch!" one of the dudebros behind them shouted. "What the fuck did you just say to us?"

Tillie flipped her hand up, the dozens of bangles adorning her arms jangled together, waving the drunks off, her dangling bell earrings swinging. She didn't take her eyes off of Anna, "Well, anyway. Happy looks good on you."

The people who came for karaoke were starting to filter out while more people started to cram in. The stations on the various TVs were being changed to a specialty channel. A pair of announcers were talking about the upcoming prizefight between two burly, muscled men.

"I think maybe we should think about heading home," Anna shouted over the rising noise. "It's getting awfully crowded and rowdy in here."

"It's always like this," Tillie shouted back. "There's probably a pay-per-view fight on soon. That's why it's so crowded."

"Tillie we should go."

Before him, Anna worked in a rowdy bar. She remembered how out of control the bar could get during a Carolina Panthers game or even the various North Carolina college games. But a night prizefight in an already crowded bar spelled trouble. Anna wanted out and out now. She didn't want them to have to fight their way out if things got ugly.

"Anna, it's fine," Tillie reassured her.

Anna looked around for Marcus, Kristoff's friend for backup, and Tillie rounded on the dudebros. She had dealt with kind of bullshit her entire life. She calmly spoke Punjabi again, smiling a saccharine grin.

"Tillie stop," Anna said, taking her friend's arm. "Let's just go before things get out of hand."

"No," Tillie said, turning back to the karaoke stage. Grace Leanna was finished and came back to the table. "I'm not being driven out because of a bunch of racist assholes."

Tillie's name was called and she got up and took the microphone. The song was Respect by Aretha Franklin. Tillie was translating into Punjabi as she sang. Anna knew she was doing it on purpose and she was concerned she was only going to make the situation worse. Grace Leanna was used to Tillie pulling stunts like this when people started talking about her and her race but Anna wasn't. The dudebros behind them were being vulgar, nasty and overall unpleasant.

"Grace Leanna, Tillie won't listen to me. We should get out of here while we can," Anna said.

"Oh Tillie's just messing with these asshats," Grace Leanna replied. "It'll be fine."

Anna wasn't so sure. The boys behind them wouldn't let up and she started to feel panic rising in her. Anna's MO when things got out of hand was to make a quick exit. But they had promised Bulda and Kristoff that they would stay together. She shook her head, not letting the vulgar and horrible things they were saying about Tillie get to her. If Grace Leanna and Tillie were okay with it then Anna should be as well. But she wasn't. This wasn't like the drunks at weddings or catering events. There they had Adam Carter and Kristoff, not to mention Mama Bulda, who would happily toss out the drunks.

Tillie finished her song with bow, sweeping the pallu (the part of the sari that drapes over the shoulder) behind her. She walked back to her table and that's when one of the asshat dudebros stepped on the trailing end of her sari, causing Tillie to trip. She fell, landing in the lap of the leader of the group.

"Look at this boys. I caught me a buttonhead," he roared with laughter.

Now Tillie was pissed. "Let go of me right now," she demanded, trying to shove her way back to her feet. She grabbed the bottle of PBR the guy was drinking and dumped its contents onto his head, causing him to loosen his grip on her arm. She got to her feet and then slapped him across the face. The dozens of bangles rattling and shaking on her trembling arms. "Don't you ever touch me again!"

"Feisty buttonheaded bitch," the dude slurred. "You owe me a beer."

"Have one of your bros piss in a bottle for you!" Tillie snapped back.

"Uh-oh," Grace Leanna muttered, reaching for her phone.

* * *

Across town, Kristoff's phone was blowing up. He set his book down and checked his messages. Grace Leanna's messages popped up first.

Tillie always found a way to make a scene. He would never tell her to stop because that's part of her personality but there was a time or place. He nudged a sleeping Sven aside and stood up. He found his boots and started pulling them on. A second chime came through. Another message from Grace Leanna. She was always doing this. Crying wolf when she and Tillie were more than capable of defending themselves. He started on the left boot laces when yet another chime sounded from his phone. This time it was from Anna.

 _Kristoff please. I'm scared. Come get me. Please._

He didn't even bother to finish lacing his boots. He threw open the door to his trailer and ran across the yard and into the main house. Bulda and Pabbie were watching a late movie with Penny June and Lucy May. Temperance Dawn was asleep on the couch.

"Kristoff Alastair? What's wrong?"

"Tillie's temper," Kristoff grumbled. "I'm going to Legion before she burns it down."

"Oh that girl," Pabbie sighed. "Go save her from getting arrested. Penny June and I can handle things here."

Bulda was on her feet and joined her son. He grabbed his leather jacket and his keys and was out in the driveway waiting for his mother. He tapped out a quick message to Anna.

 _Anna, stay where you are. I will come for you. I will come for you._

* * *

Marcus, the bouncer, was in the process of tossing out a pair of bikers who started a fist fight over scoring on a dart game. His attention wasn't on the fracas happening in the seating area: Spilt beer and a glass of merlot in another face. Anna saw things getting out of Tillie's control and decided to act. When one leering blond reached to grab Tillie's arm again, she shot the contents of one of her pepper spray canisters into his eyes. He screamed out, rubbing at his eyes and cursing at her. One of his friends reached to grab her arm and she rounded on him too. Grace Leanna grabbed Tillie's hand and pulled her out of the way of Anna's sprays.

"You fucking bitches!" the lead guy shouted, trying to see through his swollen and red eyes.

"Manners maketh man," Anna shouted back, not taking her fingers off the trigger until the canister was empty.

"Come on Anna, let's go," Tillie said. "It's done. Come on!"

After running three lights and skipping two stop signs, Kristoff's truck skidded to a stop in the Legion's dirt parking lot. Leaving Bulda in the cab, he jumped out of truck and shoved his way through the smokers outside and into the bar. He towered over the patrons, looking around to find his sisters and Anna. His Anna. His panic for Anna turned to pride when he spotted them just as Anna shot a guy in the face with pepper spray.

"That's my girl," Kristoff whispered. He waved his arms over his head and then put his fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp whistle. It was the same whistle he used to get the younger ones' attention when they were on the beach. Grace Leanna looked up and saw her brother.

"Tillie! Anna! Look!" Grace Leanna exclaimed, pointing towards the door.

Anna had never been so happy to see a man in her entire life. She pushed through the crowd, Tillie and Grace Leanna in her wake, Kristoff's face shining like a beacon of hope and peace. She wanted nothing more than to be safe in his arms.

"Kristoff!" she shouted over the noise of the crowd.

"Anna!" he called back to her, shoving a burly, gnarly bearded guy out of his way. "I'm here." He caught her trembling form in his arms and held her tight to him. "Are you okay, Anna? I've got you," he sighed and hugged her, kissing her forehead.

"Just get me out of here, please," Anna said, her breath coming in short pants. "Please. I want to go home."

"We'll go, but Anna you just pepper sprayed the shit out of those guys," he grinned down at her. "You gotta wash that crap off your hands. You don't want to get it in your eyes."

He walked with her to the bathroom and waited outside the door for Anna to come back out. She was calmer after washing her hands, but she looked freaked out. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her out of the bar, joining Mama Bulda, Tillie, and Grace Leanna. Once the hugs were distributed, Bulda rounded on her oldest daughter.

"Girl, what is wrong with you?" Mama Bulda shouted, whacking Tillie on the back of the head. "You don't have to attend every fight you're invited to!"

"Mama! You taught me to be proud of where I come from."

"Yes, but there's a fine line between proud and stupid, and you love dancing on it!" she groused. Tillie looked stubbornly contrite. "Let's just go home," Bulda sighed, steering Tiliie and Grace Leanna towards Tillie's car. "Anna Marcie, I need to give these two a piece of my mind. Can you ride home with Kristoff Alastair?"

"I've got her Mama," Kristoff said.

"I'll see you at home then."

Kristoff lead Anna over to his truck, opening the door for her, waiting for her to get settled before closing the door. He hopped into his side and started the engine.

Now that she was safe, the adrenaline rush faded and left Anna feeling wrung out and assaulted with a swarm of what-if's. She blinked when Kristoff gently took her hand, smoothing his thumb over her shaking fingers. "Anna do you want me to take you home?"

"No," she whispered. "I don't be alone. Can I stay with you?"

"Of course Anna. You can sleep with Tempe," he smiled gently, then grinned with mischief. "I will warn you though, she kicks. Hard."

"I don't mind," she smiled back, and his heart swelled that he could bring a smile to her face. His heart hammered in his chest when she slid across the seat and curled into his side. "I don't mind at all."

* * *

"Miss Anna?" Temperance Dawn asked, rubbing her eyes. Kristoff carried her from the house and out to the trailer.

"Yes Papillon?" Anna said, holding Kristoff's other hand.

"Are you spending the night with me?"

"Yes I am. Is that ok?"

"Uh-huh." Temperance Dawn sleepily laid her head back on his shoulder, her little thumb finding its way back into her mouth.

Anna pulled open the door to Kristoff's trailer and walked in behind the little family. Kristoff set Temperance Dawn down and guided her towards the back to the big bed. "Anna, you and Tempe take my bed and I'll sleep in the other one." Temperance Dawn laid down on the bed, clutching her Stitch stuffy close to her. Kristoff tucked the blankets up around her and kissed her on the cheek. "Love you my little sunshine."

"Love you too, Daddy."

"I bought her that when I got her back from Miranda Lynn," Kristoff whispered, handing Anna one of his shirts. "She never sleeps without it."

Anna smiled down at the little girl, catching the reference. She may be little and a bit broken, but still so good. Yeah, still good. Maybe she was too.

Anna took the long flannel shirt from Kristoff and slipped into the small bathroom to change out of Tillie's clothes. His shirt dwarfed her and she loved being surrounded by his smell. He watched her lovingly as she crawled into the bed with Temperance Dawn, cuddling the little girl close to her. The events of the night played over in her mind. The press of the crowd. The angry looks on those guys' faces. Hands grabbing at her and her friends. She didn't notice that she was crying.

"Miss Anna? Why are you crying?" Temperance Dawn's little voice asked sleepily. "Do you have a Scary Lady too?"

"No, I have a Scary Man," Anna said, kissing her cheek.

"I'll protect you Miss Anna," she said with all the courage and confidence of a five-year-old. "and Daddy will protect us both," the little girl said. "Miss Anna, will you sing me that pretty song you sing? Till I fall sleep?"

"Of course, Papillon," Anna said, and she softly hummed her song to the sleepy little angel in her arms.

 _Yes, I will protect you_ , Kristoff thought, staring lovingly down at his girls. His girls. He liked the sound of that. _I will always protect you Anna. Until the stars fall around us._


	11. Dating or Something Like it

**A/N: This chapter was a collaborative effort between frenzy5150 and I. She has been such a huge help in making this story what it is! Much love! As always please leave a review!**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 11: Dating...Or Something Like It

Anna awoke the next morning with a tiny human sprawled out on top of her, a foot in her face and an elbow in her ribs. It took her a moment to remember where she was. She was in Kristoff's trailer with Temperance Dawn, who was still sound asleep. Anna carefully disentangled herself from the little girl and sat up. It had been dark when Kristoff brought her home, so she didn't really get the chance to see her surroundings. Kristoff's little home wasn't much, but it was surprisingly cozy. She and Temperance Dawn were at one end of the trailer, a closet next to them, the small bathroom on the other side. A stove and small oven along the left side and a table and bench on the right. The rounded other end of the trailer held the second seating area and a pile of blankets and pillows where Kristoff has slept the night before. But he wasn't there. On the countertop in a small clear vase was yet another single white rose. Anna crawled out from under Temperance Dawn and padded over to the counter.

"Knock, knock," Kristoff said quietly, a cloth tote bag hanging from one hand and a tray balanced in the other. "Morning sleepyheads."

"What time is it?" Anna asked, yawning, smiling as she smelled the rose. She would add it to the book his first one was pressed between the pages.

"Eight something," he said, watching her with a small, warm smile. He could get used to this. Being with her in the morning. Anna wearing his shirts, dwarfing her small frame. Her hair a tangled halo around her sleepy face, eyes warm and soft and smiling at him. He wanted to scoop her up into his arms and kiss her but that would have to wait. He dropped the tote and set down the tray, which was piled with all sorts of breakfast items. "How'd you sleep?"

"You weren't kidding," Anna said, rubbing her side. "Quite the soccer player we have." He grinned, not correcting her on what she just said. His heart swelled with the feeling that Anna already felt like Temperance Dawn was as much hers as she was his. Anna was quiet for a moment, holding the rose to her nose before speaking again. "Thank you, Kristoff."

"For what?"

"Coming for me last night," Anna said. "No one has ever done that for me before."

"Anna, you're my girlfriend," Kristoff said. "I will always be there when you need me."

"Your girlfriend?"

"Only if you want to be." He cupped her cheek in his hand. She melted into his touch. She turned her head and kissed the palm of his hand.

"I want to," she said very very softly, almost to the point where he couldn't hear her. But he did. Kristoff carefully bent forward, pulled Anna closer to him, and kissed her gently. His hand found its way behind her head and his other arm wrapped around her waist as his lips moved softly against hers. He held her close, their foreheads resting against each other, her hands pressed warmly into his chest. He kissed her forehead, then stepped back and lightly grasped her hands. He pulled her towards the pile of pillows and blankets on the floor. He sat down and wordlessly invited her to join him with a gentle tug at her fingers. She smiled shyly and accepted his offer, settling down onto his lap. They cuddled together for several long, comfortable minutes, her back against his chest, her legs tucked demurely under her as she sat between his long legs. He wrapped his arms loosely around her and leaned his head down so he could kiss her hair. Ye, he could definitely get used to this.

"Kristoff?" Anna asked, leaning her head against his chest, tilting it up to look up at him.

"Yeah Anna?"

"Where did you come up with Temperance Dawn?" she asked, a slender finger tracing the lines on his hands, counting the scars from cooking injuries. "It's so unique."

"She wanted to name her something stupid like Candy or Sydney but spelt with a jumble of letters. So while she was asleep I filled out the birth certificate. Temperance to remind me to take things slow and steady. To remember to go into life with a clear head."

"And Dawn?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he shifted her so he could hold her in one arm and give her a warm, lopsided smile. "She fills my world with sunshine. Just like you do."

"No I don't," Anna said, looking down. "I'm no one special."

"Don't do that. Don't put yourself down. Anna, you mean more to me than anyone has in a very long time."

"You're just saying that."

"Anna, you know me better than that," he delicately tipped her chin up so she'd meet his eye. "I never say anything I don't mean."

He could lose himself in those eyes of hers, bluer than the late summer skies. But he glimpsed a touch of darkness ghost through them, felt the small tremor in her frame. It's the God's honest truth he told her, but it may be too much for her, too soon. So he leaned back to give her space and changed subjects to something safe, "Ma needs our help prepping for next week's events. So, after breakfast?"

"Um, yes," Anna shook her head, chasing the darkness away. "Of course. But I'll need to get changed somehow."

"Gotcha covered. Tillie put your clothes from last night in the bag, along with a few of her things for you to wear today if you want."

"Thank you," Anna said softly, tucking herself back into the warmth of his chest.

"Daddy? I'm hungry," a sleepy voice called from the other end of the trailer.

"Good morning to you too Hungry," Kristoff said. "Grandma Bulda made you pancakes."

"Ohh pancakes!" Temperance Dawn giggled, crawling out of bed and to the small table. "Grandma Bulda makes the best pancakes."

"I'm more partial to French toast," Anna said, patting Kristoff's chest. He helped her up and she retreated to the back of the trailer to change. Tillie had gave her a pair of tan capris, a long pink and white tunic and of course a clean pair of underwear. Outside the bathroom Anna could hear Temperance Dawn and Kristoff laughing together. She was so happy. Which was a feeling that had eluded her for so long.

* * *

It had only been two weeks since the bar fight and spending the night with Kristoff. Well not _with_ Kristoff. He was there but it wasn't like that. At least that's what Anna told Rayna during their latest therapy session.

"You spent the night with Kristoff?" Rayna asked.

"I guess you could call it that," Anna said. "Temperance Dawn and I were on the bed while he was on the floor on the other side of the trailer."

"Why did you text Kristoff that night?" Rayna asked. "Why not Bulda or Pabbie or me?"

"Because I knew Kristoff would come for me," Anna said.

* * *

"So Grace Leanna's multiple texts get ignored but Anna sends you one and you don't even bother to lace up your boots?" Tillie teased her older brother. They stood together on the dock behind the house. Kristoff was launching Justin Carl into the cove, much to the shrieking boy's delight, and called it weight training.

"I didn't ignore Grace Leanna's texts," Kristoff said, shading his eyes, keeping an eye on Temperance Dawn, wading over in the reeds. "I didn't feel the need to hustle because I know you two can handle yourselves."

"You know we don't text you when we're out unless it's an emergency."

"And you know that I don't come running every single time you call, either."

* * *

"You don't have to rely on Kristoff to come rushing in to save you."

"I know," Anna said, sipping on her glass of tea. "I sprayed those jerks when they grabbed Tillie. All I wanted to do when those guys wouldn't back off was just run. I wanted to get out of there, but I didn't run. I promised Bulda we'd stick together, and that's what I did. I knew I had to act to get us out of there, and I did."

Anna set her tea down and folded her hands in her lap. "But I also knew that if I was going to feel safe again I needed to be with him. He's my lighthouse, Rayna. The peace that guides me home. I've never had that before. I never thought I'd ever have that."

* * *

"So are you and Anna dating now?" Tillie asked. She was probing because neither Kristoff nor Anna would tell her anything. She didn't like it. Anna was her best friend and Kristoff was her brother. She deserved to know _something_.

"That's our business Matilda Louise," Kristoff grumbled as he picked up Stephen Michael and tossed him into the cove.

"Oh come on!"

"Keep it up and you'll end up drenched."

"Kristoff Alastair, I swear you're an... Wait! You wouldn't -" With a shriek she flailed in the air, landing face first in the cove with an impressive splash. "You're such an idiot!" she sputtered, spitting out the brackish water of the cove.

* * *

"I promised Kristoff that if things got out of hand that I would call him."

"But you don't owe him anything. Why make him that promise?"

"Because he's my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

"Yes," Anna smiled. "He treats me with such respect and kindness, and he doesn't treat me like I'm this broken thing. With him, I think I'm willing to take a chance."

"While I'm pleased you're not waiting five years to open your heart, I want you to be careful. Has he asked you on a proper date yet?" Rayna asked.

"Not yet. But we haven't really had the time," Anna said. "But I think it's going to happen soon."

* * *

Anna wandered around the small market in town. It wasn't like she really needed groceries considering she ate most days at the Bjorgman house. Mama Bulda always made a phenomenal breakfast, so Anna loved to be there first thing in the morning when the pancakes were hot and the company chaotic but calming. She was taking her time because she wasn't ready to back to her quiet house just yet. She took her time because she could. For the first time in forever, she could take her time shopping. She could examine everything and make a decision for herself. Before it was in and out. No leisurely shopping, just a strict list handed to her and hell to pay if she deviated from it in any way. But now she could buy her own stuff with her own money. Like the tiny jar of Nutella for herself. Like the butterfly jeweled barrette for Temperance Dawn.

"Anna!" Kristoff called, spotting her. "We've been looking all over for you!"

"You could have just called," Anna smiled, accepting a hug from Temperance Dawn. "Where are you off to?" Kristoff was wearing long board shorts, a gray tank top and flip flops. Temperance Dawn was in a short summer dress, her hair in tight pigtail braids, courtesy of Penny June, and also wearing flip flops.

"Well I didn't know if you'd want to..." Kristoff began, rubbing the back of his neck like he usually did when he was nervous. She loved that about him, loved that she knew that about him. "I know you don't really swim, but the water's really calm and I have all these sandwiches. For a picnic. For you. I made you your favorite and, uh, I was wondering if..."

"Miss Anna, will you come to our beach with us?" Temperance Dawn said, getting out what Kristoff was trying to say.

"I'm not really dressed for the beach," Anna said. "And if it's a special thing, I don't want to intrude."

"Please Miss Anna? There's a tide pool with starfish and all sorts of other creatures. Please Miss Anna? Please?"

Anna looked up at Kristoff who held out his hand for her. "Come with us?"

"I'd love to, thank you," she smiled. Anna set her basket aside and joined her boyfriend and his daughter in line. They grabbed a few bottles of water, trail mix and popcorn. Anna carried a bag and held Temperance Dawn's hand as they went out to Kristoff's beat up old truck. Temperance Dawn insisted that Anna sit in the center next to Kristoff. Anna was more than happy to indulge.

The old truck roared to life and rumbled down the road. Temperance Dawn chose the music, a collection of Disney Princess songs that Anna only barely begun to recognize. Her mother, in one of her fits, destroyed their TV and refused to allow for another one. So Anna was constantly playing catch-up when Temperance Dawn talked about her favorite princesses, ponies and other things that Anna had no concept of. Once the truck was in the right gear and Kristoff didn't need to shift anymore, he dropped his arm over Anna's shoulders, pulling her close to him. Temperance Dawn had her hands out the window playing with the wind.

After about thirty minutes of driving, Kristoff turned off the main road onto an old, well worn dirt road. The passengers inside the truck bounced around for a bit until the road smoothed out. On the horizon Anna could see the clouds rolling in off the coast. A sight so much different than the mountains and valleys she was used to seeing growing up.

"Look Miss Anna!" Temperance Dawn called out, pointing ahead of them. "Cranes!"

A flock of white cranes were shrimping in the tall reeds. The majestic birds paid no mind to the old truck rumbling past them. They rounded a corner and came to an empty beach.

"We're here! We're here!" Temperance Dawn shouted.

The old truck groaned to a stop and Kristoff killed the engine, dropping the keys into the never used ashtray. Temperance Dawn pushed open the door and jumped out and started to run for the water.

"Temperance Dawn Bjorgman, don't you dare get in the water until you have your life vest on!" Kristoff yelled.

It was the first time Anna had ever heard Kristoff raise his voice to the little girl. Sure, she's heard him yell at Tillie during a dinner service or at Adam Carter to hurry up with something but never at Temperance Dawn. The little girl froze in her tracks, nearly petrified with fear.

"I'm sorry Daddy," her little voice shook, her eyes wide and her whole body trembling. "Please don't be mad."

Kristoff cursed under his breath. _God damnit Miranda_. "Tempe come here," Kristoff said, climbing down from the back of the truck. She didn't move at first, so he kneeled down and called out to her again, more gently this time, "Tempe, please come here." Temperance Dawn shuffled back to the truck, her head down, tears trickling down her cheeks. Kristoff gathered her into his strong arms and held her close for several quiet moments. "Tempe, Daddy didn't meant to yell. You know Daddy would never hurt you."

"I'm sorry Daddy," Temperance Dawn said, looking up at him, her light brown eyes shining with tears. "I was just so excited."

"I know baby," Kristoff said. "And I'm not mad at you. But you can't run out into the water without your life jacket. It isn't safe. That's the rules."

The little girl nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry Daddy. I'll do better next time."

"Thank you, Tempe. I know you will." He hugged her and set her back on her flip flopped feet. She was still sad and shaken. Kristoff figured he'd better pack up everything because the day was done.

"Temperance Dawn, why don't you help me find the best spot to put up the umbrella?" Anna said with an encouraging smile, holding out her hand for the little girl. "And you can tell what your favorite things are here at your beach."

Kristoff smiled at his daughter pulling at Anna's hand, chattering excitedly about their special place. He was so grateful for Anna right then. Normally something like this would cause Temperance Dawn to shut down completely and not bounce back for several hours no matter how hard he tried to coax her out of her shell. But Anna got her redirected and willing to enjoy the day. He loved that about her.

He loved so much about her it scared him.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and walked around to the truck's tailgate. "Yo, I ain't carrying all this stuff by myself here, ladies," Kristoff teased.

Tempe ran back and grabbed her net bag of beach toys. Anna grabbed the canvas tote of towels and blankets, and took the beach umbrella from Kristoff. He squeezed her hand briefly, gratitude in his warm brown eyes.

Anna and Temperance Dawn each took a bag of towels and the big beach umbrella and started towards the water, the scolding completely forgotten. Anna rolled out the big mat right where Temperance Dawn told her to put it, between an outcropping of rocks and the tideline, and then started the fight with the umbrella. Kristoff carried the cooler and Temperance Dawn's life vest and set both down to help with the umbrella. Her frustration morphed to worry that she somehow screwed it up, but she shook her head and smiled self-deprecatingly. She wasn't going to fall back into that old pattern. Not on a beautiful day like today. Not with Kristoff and Temperance Dawn.

Once their stuff was all set up Temperance Dawn drug Anna all over the beach, pointing out the tide pool that was teeming with sea creatures. Kristoff gently reminded Temperance Dawn that she had to leave all the creatures in their habitat. Tempe proudly showed Anna how to touch the starfish with gentle fingers like her teacher taught her. After exploring, the three of them got to work on the serious business of building a sand castle. Temperance Dawn had buckets, shovels, little molds and cups. Kristoff formed the large pile between the three of them and let the girls go to town while he sipped on his water.

He kept his eye on Anna, his new favorite thing to do. He loved watching the way she moved, how gentle and calm she was with Temperance Dawn. He loved watching the wind blow the long linen shirt she wore. The way the ocean breeze caught the loose tendrils of hair. He loved it when she wore her hair down. The long red-gold haunted his dreams. He couldn't wait for the day when she would wake up next to him every morning. That hair draped across his chest. Her scent filling his senses as he wakes up holding her.

"Daddy, look!" Temperance Dawn shouted over the gently rolling waves. "Look what we made!"

It wasn't a castle by any sense of the word. It looked more like a pile of sand with sticks, shells and feathers stuck into it. But to Temperance Dawn it was the Palace of Versailles. "It looks perfect, Tempe."

After building the sand castle, father and daughter ran out into the waves. Anna watched from the blanket. Not being a strong swimmer she didn't trust herself in the water. Plus... other reasons. Besides, she didn't have a change of clothes. But she shook that off too and simply enjoyed the view. She dug Kristoff's camera out of one of the bags and held it up, getting a feel for it. She snapped a couple of pictures of the landscape, the cotton clouds over the blue-green water, enamored with the natural beauty. She zoomed in on the father and daughter happily playing in the surf. She snapped several photos of that beauty too..

A very sleepy Temperance Dawn came back in her father's arms. "Kites later, Daddy?"

"Later, baby. Someone's going to take a nap before more fun," Kristoff said, lying her down on the blanket under the umbrella. "How's the GED studying going?" Kristoff asked, offering his hand to Anna. She gladly took it. He pulled her into his lap.

Anna's favorite place these days was when she and Kristoff sat together. She would sit between his legs, her head resting on his chest, his arms draped over her. It was her safe place.

"Slowly," Anna said with a sigh. "Elsa did her best when she was still home but when she ran away so did my education."

"Hasn't Tillie been helping you?"

"When she isn't pestering me about our relationship. Did you really throw her off the dock?"

"I warned her."

"I wish I saw it," Anna giggled.

"I can do it again, if you'd like. Tillie probably deserves it for something or other."

Anna burst out laughing, leaning in closer to him. He laughed too, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. His heart soared when he felt her relax into him.

"I've never had a day like this," she sighed. "The ocean is so beautiful, and to have a day to sit and enjoy it and just... be. It's wonderful. Thank you for inviting me."

"You're welcome. I always want to find a way to help you be happy," Kristoff said. "Have you given any more thought to what you want to do now that you're free?"

"Not really," Anna said sadly. "I never thought I'd have the opportunity to do or be anything. So I think once I finish the GED, I will think about that next step. I have a list of steps that I had to follow when I ran. And so far everything has fallen into place. I want to stay on the path I'm on before deviating."

"What were the steps?"

"Getting away. Finding a safe place. Finding a way to support myself. Standing on my own two feet. Finding love again," Anna said.

Kristoff smiled his goofy side grin that he has when he's truly happy. "With me?"

"I hope so, but..."

"But what?" he asked gently, encouraging her to open up.

"I don't know," she sighed. _But I'm not ready? But I don't trust myself? But I'm scared to ruin what I already have, because that always happens? But I'm afraid you'll not want me once you know..._

"It's ok," he said, smiling. "Sounds like you're on your path and moving forward. I'm just happy we get to be a part of it," he nodded towards the sleeping Temperance Dawn. Anna closed her eyes and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"I am too. So much." She shoved her anxieties down and did her best to live in the magic of that moment, the ocean breeze and the cry of the gulls and the warmth of his arms around her and the steady rhythm of his heart beating in her ear. _I'm afraid you won't love me like I love you once you know..._

Temperance Dawn whimpered in her sleep, rolling around, tears falling from her eyes. "No. Daddy. Daddy!"

Kristoff sprung to action and carefully woke Temperance Dawn up to end her nightmare. He knew one was coming. They always did when something triggered a memory of when she was taken. He held the little girl tight to him, letting the warmth of his body fill her, whispering soft, kind words into her ea to either coax her awake or frighten away the images that are filling her small mind. She woke, clinging her to her father.

"It's okay baby. It's okay. I'm here. I'm here," Kristoff whispered, rocking her back and forth. "Daddy's right here. Scary Lady can't hurt you anymore."

Temperance Dawn's little eye blinked open and it took her a moment to remember where she was. "Daddy...Miss Anna. Are we still at the beach?"

"Yes Papillon," Anna said, giving her a soft smile. "I heard something about kites?"

"I have a butterfly kite and Daddy's is a plane," Temperance Dawn said, rubbing her eyes and wriggling out of her father's arms. "Come fly it with me."

"We'll be right there, Papillon," Anna said, standing up slowly. "She is remarkable."

"Yeah. It's been a hard road but we're getting there. You will too."

"I hope so," Anna sighed, smoothing down her shirt. "It helps to know I don't have to go it alone," she murmured to herself, but he heard her as she walked over to Temperance Dawn.

"Never Anna," he murmured back. "You'll never go through that again. I promise."


	12. Petits Fours and Pianos

**A/N: This chapter was a collaborative effort between frenzy5150 and I. She has been such a huge help in making this story what it is! Much love! As always please leave a review!**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 12: Petits Fours and Pianos

"Tempe, we should do something nice for Anna. Any ideas?" Kristoff asked his daughter over breakfast about two weeks after the beach date.

"Not frogs legs?"

"No, not frogs legs."

Things between him and Anna were still very slow and confusing for him. There was something that Anna wasn't telling him and as much as he didn't want to push her, as much as he understood and respected her reluctance, it still hurt to think she didn't trust him. He wished he knew how to ease her mind and let her know nothing would change how he felt for her. He wished like hell that she trusted him with whatever it was that she was holding back. It couldn't be any worse than what she already told him at Tempe's birthday party.

"What about Miss Anna's piano?" Temperance Dawn said. "Aunt Tillie said her piano is broken."

"I think that would be perfect, Tempe." Kristoff grinned. "Let's go talk to Pabbie."

* * *

Anna rode into town, having skipped breakfast at the house. She had an idea for the baby shower they were catering that week. Bulda was stuck on a dessert for the high tea-style shower. They had finger foods galore, but no dessert. They had done mini cupcakes for almost every shower, wedding, and kids party they had since Anna began working for Bjorgman Family Catering. Given the high tea feel of the shower Anna thought petits fours would be perfect. She quietly entered the kitchen and took out the pans of sheet cakes she had baked up the night before. She wanted them to be a surprise for Bulda and Kristoff, to thank them for everything they've done and to maybe show what she could contribute to the family business. She flipped the cakes out of the pans and began leveling them off and cutting them into small squares and rounds, then set them on a cooling rack. She then started on the different glazes.

While the glazes were cooling enough to pour, Anna dug out all the piping bags, tips, the powered coloring, and the buttercream frosting Bulda always had on hand. She mixed up different pastel colors into several different bowls of the buttercream frosting. She took the glazes and poured them over the square cakes and began frosting the round ones. Getting an idea she dug around in the pastry pantry she found the bucket of handmade fondant that Kristoff used for special cakes. Finding the silence too overwhelming, Anna opened her bag and took out the CD of instrumental hymns she checked out from the library and put it into the small boombox over the service station. The CD was on its fourth rotation when Kristoff arrived at the venue.

Kristoff was worried. Anna missed breakfast, wasn't at her cottage, and wasn't answering her phone, which wasn't like her at all. He didn't have time to go looking for her, he had sandwiches to prep for the Arendelle Ladies Bridge Club meeting that afternoon. But he knew if he didn't get started on the sandwiches and appetizers for the meeting, Mrs. Georgia Morris would have his head. He arrived at the Arendelle Mansion, the venue that the family's catering company owned, determined to get things started and then go looking for Anna. He found the back door to the kitchen unlocked, which wasn't out of place, but the soft piano music playing inside was. He pulled open the door and the sight before him stopped his heart and made him lean in the doorway to enjoy the sight before him.

Anna was there, safe and sound and baking? She had trays of intricately iced and fondant-covered cakes around her, but that's not what caught his eye. Her face was calm and focused as she bent over the little cakes. Her entire being was relaxed, serene, content in her work. She was up to her elbows in frosting. Her red hair was pulled up into a messy but contained knot on the top of her head. A smudge of purple icing was streaked across her cheek. She was humming softly to herself as she deftly added tiny flowers on the sides of the small cake in front of her. She was happy and Kristoff didn't want to break the spell she was under".

Anna stood up from the stool and stretched, having been sitting there for nearly four hours. She looked to the side and saw Kristoff standing in the doorjamb staring at her with that adorable side grin he always seems to have on these days when looking at her. "Anna? What are you doing here?" he asked.

Much like she had all those months ago when he had startled her at the dock, she jumped, crying out, sending the bowl of pink frosting clattering to the floor. The contents of the bowl splattering all over the floor. Instantly she was on her knees, cleaning up the mess, mentally preparing what she knew was coming next. _Clumsy. Stupid. Wasteful._

"I'm sorry," she said, her head down, scooping up the frosting. "I know I should have asked first. Please don't be mad."

"Anna, sweetheart, why would I be mad? I don't even know what you're doing." Kristoff jumped at the chance to help her, but she was so freaked out she cringed back from his hand when he tried to hand her the spatula.

Anna rushed over to the sink and dropped the bowl of ruined frosting into the basin. Tears stung her eyes, she braced herself for the berating she knew was coming. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Back to square one. He's getting a little tired of making so much progress than have something happen and have to start over again. But it was par for the course with him. First with Temperance Dawn and now with Anna. Kristoff saw her trembling and came over to her at the sink. He kept his hands at his side, and it was physically hurting him to not be able to comfort her against whatever was wrong. Whatever it was he had done wrong again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again. She held the edge of the sink, doing the breathing techniques that Rayna had taught her when things got intense. Deep breath in, slow breath out. In and out. "I should have asked first. I'm sorry. I'll replace everything I used." She wasn't talking to him, Kristoff knew that. She was apologizing to the ghost that kept her from trusting him completely.

"Anna, talk to me. What's going on? I've been worried about you." He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, letting her know he was there and wouldn't move anymore until she consented. "What's wrong? What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything. I saw these petits fours in a book at the library the other day and thought they'd be perfect for the Sanderson baby shower tomorrow," her voice soft and trembling. "I overstepped. It's not my job. I'm just a server. I shouldn't have done this." She started to pull away from him and leave but he wouldn't let her.

"Not this time," Kristoff said, his voice firm but kind, keeping his hands on her shoulders. "No more running. Not from me. Anna, talk to me, please?"

She took a shuddering breath, and it was all he could do not to pull her in close and hold her. He knew if he tried anything more she would shut down on him further and all the progress they made would disappear. He couldn't lose her to a ghost anymore.

"Bulda was tearing her hair out and I wanted to do something nice for her," Anna explained, keeping her back to Kristoff. "I saw these in a book at the Library and thought they'd be perfect. So I came in last night and baked up the cake and then this morning to start on the decorating."

He turned her around and gently tipped her chin up to look in her eyes, and saw the ghosts of old terror swimming in them.

"I'm not mad, Anna, so don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong here. I was just worried about you, that's all. It's not like you to miss breakfast or to not answer your phone," he kissed her forehead, let his lips linger there until he felt her relax just a fraction. "I don't care that you're making tiny cakes for Jillian Sanderson. I think it's great. I never would have thought of these," he turned to admire her handiwork. "They look amazing. When did you learn to do that kind of piping? I struggle with it and I've had years of practice."

"Small hands?" Anna said, holding them up with a tremulous smile.

"Amazing hands," he took them in his much bigger ones and gently kissed her palms. "Can I help with anything?"

* * *

"What happened the other day Anna?" Rayna asked.

"I saw a book in the library about different desserts and saw one for petits fours and thought they'd be perfect for the Sanderson baby shower," Anna said, holding the pillow tight to her chest. "I didn't tell anyone I was going to make them. I wanted it to be a surprise for Bulda. She had been so stressed out about that shower and I thought I could do something to help her."

"That was very sweet of you Anna. How did they turn out?"

"They were a huge hit. I expected Bulda to take the credit for it but she didn't. She took me around to every single lady at the party so they could tell me how wonderful the petits fours were."

"Why did you expect Bulda to take credit for work she hadn't done? That doesn't sound like Bulda Bjorgman to me."

"I know its not. I don't know why I can't seem to get over this feeling that no matter what I do, I will always be afraid of something going wrong. That I am always going to be wrong."

"That's understandable, given your past. It's a survival instinct you unfortunately had beaten into you. But if you are to move beyond that you have to retrain your reactions."

"I don't know how," Anna whimpered into her pillow.

"Anna, I am going to be stern with you right now. You might not like what I have to say but you're going to listen to me," Rayna said. "You need decide how you're going to react when you're confronted with situations like this. You need to take a risk and trust again. I know it's hard. It means making yourself vulnerable. But I guarantee that you will never fully heal unless you learn to trust again."

Anna stared at her, eyes wide.

"The Bjorgman family has been nothing but supportive of you, and you need to trust that they will continue to be positive as you step up and takes chances. They might not all work out, but you need to keep trying. From what you've told me they haven't given you a reason to doubt."

Rayna reached over and grasped Anna's hand.

"You need to let go of that negativity that is keeping you in the past. Trust is fragile but you can nurture it by opening your heart. Staying frozen is no longer an option."

* * *

Anna sat by herself at the kitchen bar, a rarity at the Bjorgman household. The younger kids were at school and the rest were off doing whatever it was that they did during the day when they weren't preparing for an event. Anna offered to pick up Temperance Dawn from school while Kristoff was at Costco. A large family could make several trips to Costco throughout the month. She couldn't get over what Rayna had said in their last session. She really was holding them at arms length. And it had to stop.

The back door opened and Kristoff came in carrying a large box against his chest. "Now there's the friendly face I have been dying to see all morning," he said upon seeing her sitting in the kitchen.

"Grumpy people at Costco today?" Anna asked, setting her teacup down and going over to the box to help put away the groceries.

"And dumbass drivers on the highway coming back from Charleston."

Anna was quiet for a moment, taking the cans of soup from the box to the pantry. She wanted to ask Kristoff something but she wasn't sure how he'd take it. She wanted him to ask her on a date. A real date but she decided to keep the topic light. "I had a great time at the beach. It was a great first date."

Kristoff dropped the rack of frozen ribs he was carrying onto his foot. Did she really just say what she said? It wasn't a date, was it? It was a beach day with Tempe. But if she's calling it a date, it had to have been one, right? Or is she just saying that?

"I wouldn't have called it a date," Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't usually bring Tempe on dates."

"But you're a set. You go together like dirt and Justin Carl's face." Anna smiled.

Kristoff smiled too, "Well maybe we should have another one. Just us this time. Would you like that?"

"I would like that very much." Trust is fragile. Trust is earned. Trust is power. She looked up at the clock. "Oops, time to go get Temperance Dawn from school."

And just like that she was gone again. This girl was confusing. Beautiful. Haunted. But confusing. One minute she's terrified of him and another she's practically begging him to hold her, touch her, kiss her. She was a mystery that Kristoff was more than willing to solve.

When Anna got to the school, Temperance Dawn wasn't sitting on the bench waiting for her like she usually was. Anna wound her way through the crowd of chattering students and down the hall to Temperance Dawn's classroom. She peeked inside the door and saw Temperance Dawn sitting by herself on the floor of the classroom staring at the wall, her teacher writing nervously at her desk.

"Papillon? Sweetheart, what's going on?" Anna asked, kneeling down next to her. "Why weren't you waiting for me?" Temperance Dawn wouldn't even look at her. Something was wrong. Very wrong. "Temperance Dawn?"

"Miss Delano, um, may I speak with you for a moment?" Temperance Dawn's teacher asked.

"Should I get her father on the phone as well?"

"I think that would be best."

Anna dug her phone out and tapped on Kristoff's face. He answered on the second ring. "Kristoff, something happened at school with Papillon. I don't know what but I think it would be for the best if you got here now."

He was already out the door leaving the groceries on the counter. On a normal day it takes five minutes to get from the Bjorgman house to Temperance Dawn's school on foot. Kristoff got there in under three. He saw his daughter staring off into space and Anna crouched down next to her, trying to coax her back.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice hard.

"A woman came to the school today, claiming to be Temperance Dawn's mother," her teacher said. "We checked her identification and it was in fact Miranda Lynn Collingsworth. We brought Temperance back in immediately and the police were called, but she's been like this ever since. I can't get her to talk to me."

 _God damnit, Miranda! She can't do this to us anymore!_

"Tempe, baby. Daddy's here. So is Miss Anna and your teacher," Kristoff said, kneeling down to Temperance Dawn's level and gently brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "Scary Lady's gone. She can't take you. She's gone."

Temperance Dawn was staring at the wall, humming something. Anna leaned in closer and listened to the tune. " _Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace_."

Anna smiled softly, scooted closer to Temperance Dawn and opened her arms. The little girl let Anna gather her into her arms, and then Kristoff folded them both into his embrace. Together they sang that song over and over until the tears came and Temperance Dawn clung to Anna and Kristoff for dear life. Much like Anna, she was reaching for her lighthouse. Her peace. Her safe place.

It took about ten minutes, but Temperance Dawn finally stopped crying. Kristoff helped them stand, Temperance Dawn clinging to Anna. He thanked her teacher and shepherded them out of the classroom.

"I need to talk to the police. And to my lawyer," Kristoff all but growled.

Anna nodded. "Papillon, how about you and me take a walk? Maybe get some of Miss Mona's caramel sundaes?"

"That sounds nice, Miss Anna," Tempe said, her voice still very small. "Are you coming too Daddy?"

"Yes, baby. I just need to make a call first."

"Ok Daddy."

Anna walked briskly while Kristoff hung back and raised Cain with his lawyer. "She came to her school! How the fuck does she know where her school is?! I want her behind bars where she belongs!"

"Is Daddy mad at me?" Temperance Dawn whimpered.

"Never, Papillon. Never in a million years is your daddy mad at you. Scary Lady scares him too. He doesn't want anything to happen to you ever."

"I don't fucking care, Mark!" Kristoff yelled into the phone. "I want my daughter safe! That fucking bitch is dangerous."

Anna rushed Temperance Dawn forward, away from Kristoff. Her little papillon didn't need to hear that kind of language coming from her father, not when she was already so scared. Anna began humming their song again and Temperance Dawn joined in. They walked through the park, humming together, kicking up the dandelion fluff, making wishes and just being okay. The sun was high and the humidity was too, and the best cure to the heat and a frightened heart was ice cream. And the best ice cream was at Miss Mona's Ice Cream Parlor.

Kristoff also took a walk through the park after talking to Mark, his lawyer. They were going to see what they can do to keep Miranda Lynn from Temperance Dawn, but it was going to take time. That fact made Kristoff's blood boil. He needed to find his girls, but he needed to cool down first before he scared Tempe even worse. Fifteen minutes later he walked over to Miss Mona's and saw Anna and Temperance Dawn inside. Miss Mona had given them a set of window markers and they were busy drawing butterflies on the windows.

Less than an hour ago, Temperance Dawn was catatonic with fear from her bitch of a mother and now she's coloring windows with a girl that Kristoff could see himself proposing to. He could, but not now. Now he had to focus on his daughter and keeping her safe.

* * *

Throughout the day Anna stayed close, helping where she could. She helped Tillie clear out some stuff from her room so Temperance Dawn could sleep upstairs inside the main house. She helped Bulda bring in several spare pillows and blankets and stacked them beside the foot of the bed. She handed Temperance Dawn her Stitch stuffie after Penny June fetched it from the Airstream. If Temperance Dawn wasn't clinging to Kristoff, she reached for Anna. But near the end of the day she stood back and watched, conflicted. She wasn't sure if it was her place to be there, but she couldn't deny that little angel when she asked for her. And to be honest, it felt right to comfort her. It warmed her heart that Temperance Dawn found some peace with her. And that made her happy.

She watched Kristoff, worried for him. He's spread himself so thin, focused on Temperance Dawn, not eating or taking care of himself. The only time he left her was to take calls from his attorney or Tempe's doctor. Bulda shoved him down once and put a plate in front of him, but it went untouched. His baby was hurting and he couldn't think about anything else.

It took Kristoff nearly three hours to convince Temperance Dawn that she was going to be okay. Despite the afternoon of ice cream and Anna's reassurance that she hadn't done anything wrong, Temperance Dawn was terrified to go to sleep. She was afraid of the nightmares. He held her. Rocked her. Read story after story. Tillie invoked the care and compassion of her Hindu gods and goddesses. She drew a circle on the floor around Temperance Dawn's bed, telling her the story of the circle.

"If you stay inside this enchanted circle, nothing and no one can harm you," Tillie said. "It protected Sita from Ravana and it will protect you as well."

Anna watched from the doorjamb. She honestly felt like she was in the way. That it wasn't her place to help with Temperance Dawn. She retreated down to the kitchen to stew on her own thoughts and wait for Kristoff to come back down.

* * *

"Daddy?" Temperance Dawn asked, her voice sleepy and soft as he was lying her down in her bed.

"Yes baby?"

"I made a wish today when we were kicking dandelions in the park."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I wished Miss Anna could be my mommy."

"Oh Tempe," he whispered, mouth suddenly dry. "That's a beautiful wish. Maybe someday."

"I love you Daddy."

"I love you too baby. I'm right here for you." He stroked her hair, waiting for her to fall asleep. Her soft brown eyes drooped and fluttered softly and her breath evened out as she finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep. He leaned against the foot of the bed and closed his eyes. He had nightmares of his own, visions of what Miranda Lynn put her through dreamed up by his fear-ravaged imagination. Nightmares that raged even as a softly-sung hymn tried to fight them off.

* * *

Anna was worried. Kristoff hadn't come back down from Temperance Dawn's room yet. He said he would come down and eat once Temperance Dawn was asleep, but knowing him he won't budge from her side even for a moment. So she got up from the table and fussed about the kitchen making Kristoff a sandwich. She highly doubted he would eat it, but she had to do something.

"Kristoff?" Anna called softly. She saw him leaning against the bed, head back against the footboard, shoulders slumped. He didn't move when she called. She tip-toed into the room and set the plate in his lap, "I made you a sandwich. You need to eat. Take care of yourself. You can't help her if you're run down."

"Six months Anna," Kristoff said. "Six months of searching. Missing Person fliers all over the state, fuck, the country. Six months of not knowing where my daughter was, who she was with or what was happening to her. I won't go through that again."

Anna knelt down in front of Kristoff and cupped his cheek so she could gently tilt his head and direct his gaze to the bed. "Kristoff, look at her. She's home. She's sleeping, surrounded by all the people who love her."

She took his hands in hers, pressed the palms of his hands to her cheeks, willing him to feel her warmth. "She's safe and with us. It's time to take care of you. Let me."

"I'm not leaving her."

"And I'm not leaving you."

He set the sandwich aside and pulled Anna into his lap. He cupped her cheeks in his hands again and kissed her. It was a possessive, hungry kiss but still had that beautiful kindness of his that Anna had grown to love. She cupped his cheeks in her own hands and returned his kiss, slanting her mouth over his as if she could draw all of his sadness out of him with her touch. They came up for air and rested their foreheads together. She stared into his eyes. The weight of the world seemed to live in the depths of his brown eyes. She would ease that burden. She maneuvered them so that she could lean against the bed and let Kristoff lay his head in her lap. She softly sang to him, stroking his hair.

She shifted a bit on the pile of pillows, trying to find a more comfortable spot. He held on to her tighter and whispered, "Don't let me go."

"Never," she vowed. She wrapped her arms around his head and held him tightly to her and whispered in his ear, "I've got you, I promise." He shifted them so they reclined on the pillow pile. She could feel him trembling in her arms, and she recognized the controlled breathing pattern he used as the same one Rayna taught her.

If it were possible, she held him even tighter. "I've got you. Lean on me. Let me help you," she whispered to him as sleep finally found him. She kissed his forehead. "I love you..."

Sometime around midnight Bulda went up to check on things. She smiled when she saw her granddaughter sleeping soundly. Her heart swelled with love and pride at the young woman who held her son, his head resting on her chest, both of them clinging to each other even in sleep. She covered them both with a blanket and knew she could sleep peacefully. Her babies were home and safe.

* * *

"That piano is in serious need of an overhaul," the repair guy said to Kristoff. "I told that to Old Man Hitchins that when he had it appraised a year ago. You're better off replacing it than repairs."

"Thanks, Ed," Kristoff sighed. This was starting to be a harder big gesture than he was expecting.

Kristoff wanted Anna to have that piano. It was something he knew would make her happy and content. He had to make this happen, but how? He knew just who to talk to. "Hey Pop?" Kristoff called into the garage. Pabbie was hiding from Bulda. Kristoff wasn't sure as to why, but when Pabbie was hiding it was usually a good idea for oneself to get missing.

"Were you followed?" the old man said, poking his head out from under the old car he was working on.

"Nope. Bulda's on a rant about Adam Carter or Justin Carl," Kristoff said, closing the door. "Want a hand?"

"What's on your mind, boy? Besides that pretty redhead that damn near lives here."

While Pabbie didn't ever say much, the man was very observant of the goings on his own house. A loving and devoted father, he ruled the roost with a perfectly timed side-eye and a snap of his fingers. Bulda may be the loud one but it's the silent disapproval of Pabbie that you have to watch out for.

"I wanted to get the piano in her cottage fixed, but Ed said it's not worth fixing. I'm not sure what to do."

"I told Hitchins he should've sold it for kindling years ago. Money's better spent getting a refurbed one."

"How do I go about doing that"

"I know a guy."

"Thanks, Pop."

"That ain't all that's on your mind, boy."

"What do you mean?"

"That girl loves you," Pabbie said, from under the car. "I don't know what you're waiting for."

"That cockwomble bastard that hurt her in more ways than I can ever understand still has a hold on her," Kristoff growled.

"Cockwomble?"

"A useless, bumbling fuckwit," Kristoff said, picking up a piece of the motor and began cleaning it with the rag on the workbench. "Every time I get close to Anna, something happens and she reverts back to the scared girl she was when she first got here."

"Maybe you need to meet her halfway, son."

"Halfway?"

"You love her, that's obvious. And I'm proud of you for that, son. After all the hurt you endured growing up, and the hell that woman put you and Temperance Dawn through, you're still willing to love." Kristoff ducked his head at the praise.

"But you're expecting too much. You can't expect a girl who has been hurt like she has to be so open and trusting. You're too much like Bulda in that sense," Pabbie said. "That woman feels with her whole soul. Every time we were denied an adoption or had to give a child back, a part of her broke. A part of you broke when Miranda Lynn took Tempe from you. But you put yourself back together and found someone who seems to feel the same way about you. So the question is, what are you going to do about it?"

"For a guy who doesn't say much, you sure get the point across Pop."

"That's what I do, son. Now get outta here before your mother and her minions find me."

"Sure thing, Pop. And thanks."

* * *

Kristoff drove his beat-up old pick-up truck from the local university to Anna's cottage with a special package carefully wrapped and tarped down in the back. He couldn't help but grin like a schoolboy; his plan was actually working! The guy that Pabbie knew happy to make a trade. He would take the old piano so the Shop students refurbish it, and let them use an older practice piano in the meantime so that Anna would still have one. He'd also let Kristoff buy the practice one and pay for it over the course of several months.

They only had a small window in which Anna wouldn't be at home to make the switch. Kristoff managed to get his sisters to take Anna shopping so she would be out of the house for at least a few hours.

He parked in front of the house and Kristoff went up the door and gave it a slight jiggle. Locked. He expected it but had hoped that she would have left it open. He took out his Leatherman from his pocket and swiftly took the knob apart and opened the door. He had been locked out of his house one too many times growing up and learned that it was easier and less expensive to take apart the doorknob than to break a window.

With the door open he moved furniture, making mental notes of their locations so he could put everything back where it was and not rouse Anna's suspicions. She was going to so surprised!

Kristoff worked quickly, grinning like a lovesick fool the entire time. He imagined her beautiful smiling face when she saw the piano. Imagined her relaxed and serene as she played it. Imagined her giving Temperance Dawn lessons on it. Imagined sitting with her and listening to her play and sing, watching her for hours.

It didn't take long to switch out the pianos and tarp down the old one in his truck. Now the hard part would making sure Anna didn't notice that things had been moved. Moving everything and making sure it was just right was a lot of work. But it would be worth it once Anna got to play again.

They were having their first date tonight. Well, technically the second, their first without Temperance Dawn, and he wanted everything here to be perfect. He was making her dinner. The dish that won him the New Orleans internship. Cajun crab cakes, Spanish rice, a salad of arugula, bitter greens and kale topped with fire roasted peppers and a cayenne pepper sauce that was to die for. Not to mention a bottle red wine and creme brûlée and cheesecake.

* * *

"Tillie, for the last time I don't need a new pair of shoes. What I need is to get home and straighten up so Kristoff has a nice clean kitchen to destroy," Anna said. She, Tillie, and Grace Leanna were at the local Penney's just goofing off. Grace Leanna was off somewhere looking at who knows what. Probably purses.

"What's to clean?" Tillie asked, moving around the display of shoes. "The only time our house has ever been as clean as your was when we first moved into it, and even that's debatable. Anna, you could live in a cave in the woods and my brother would still look at you like you hung the moon. He's never smiled this much ever."

"Old habits die hard I guess," Anna said, shaking the thoughts of _him_ and her mother's abuse from her mind. "I have never been this happy, Tillie. Ever. I'm not quire sure how to respond to it."

"Anna, if I ask you something will you answer it?" Tillie asked, taking her friend by the arms. "Are you in love with my brother?"

Anna stopped and had to suppress her rising smile. "That's not a question I will answer. Not to you anyway."

"You know I just want what's best for you,"

"I know..."

Tillie searched Anna's face, looking for any sign of Anna's true feelings. There was a glint of something in her blue eyes and Tillie began smiling and giggling. "You do! You love my brother."

It took all Anna had to keep Tillie from seeing her true feelings. She wanted to keep her relationship with Kristoff something that was just between them but still wanted to have that friendship with another girl. She'd never had this and it was still so new to her that she had a feeling she was hurting Tillie's feelings by not talking to her about "girl stuff."

"It's cool if you don't want to talk about it, Anna," Tillie said, noticing her friend's hesitation. "You know, it was my fault he got with Miranda Lynn in the first place."

"What?"

"She was my friend and I thought she'd be good for Kristoff," Tillie frowned, looking away as if ashamed. "But as it turned out, she had us all fooled."

"Tillie, Kristoff doesn't blame you for anything that happened with Scary Lady." Anna refused to call the bitch by her name. "All the blame he has is on her."

"I know. I still look back on all the shit she's put him through and wonder if I hadn't introduced her to him, none of it would have happened."

Anna hugged her friend tightly. "You precious cinnamon roll."

"Where'd you hear that?" Tillie laughed.

"Penny June."

"Figures."

* * *

Kristoff was busy mixing, chopping and all around content in the kitchen making Anna dinner. She sat on her couch, completely oblivious to the surprise he set up for her. She watched him work, enjoying him being completely in his element. His movements were smooth, controlled, and efficient. Though every once in a while he'd look up at her and smile, and she'd blush and notice a little flair added to his routine. The classic rock station was on the radio and he jammed to Crazy Train while he cooked. When the song was over he came around the couch and held a spoon up for her to sample.

"Taste this please," he asked. "I don't know how you are on spice and heat so I want to make sure this isn't too spicy for you."

She tasted the sauce and smiled. "This is perfect."

He went back over to the stove and turned down the music. "You know what would make this better?"

"What?"

"If you played me something on the piano."

"Kristoff, you know full well that the piano is broken."

"Just try, for me?"

Sighing Anna stood up and walked over to the piano. She lifted the lid covering the keys. A pair of white roses were sitting on the keys. She smiled, picking them up and smelling them before lying them on top of the piano. She trailed her fingers along the keys and pressed down finding the right chord. It didn't make a dead clunking sound. It played the chord in tune.

"What happened to the piano?"

"I got you a new one," Kristoff said. "The old one was junk. I gave it to the College of Charleston to their music department to take apart and fix and and they gave me this old practice piano to use while they work on it."

"When did you do this?" Anna asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Today. While you were out with Tillie and Grace Leanna. I wanted to surprise you. Do something nice to make you happy. Clearly I can see that I fucked up."

"Kristoff, you can't just break into my house!"

"I didn't break in -"

"What do you call coming into my house without my knowledge or permission? You really are an idiot."

"Hey! You don't get to call me an idiot!" Kristoff bristled.

"Kristoff, you can't just break into my house!"

"I didn't think you'd -"

"You didn't think? You didn't think I'd have a problem with you breaking into my house?!"

"It was a pretty flimsy lock. All it took was my leatherman to get it open. Maybe Pabbie can come and replace it with something better?"

"So not the point, Kristoff!"

"Hey now!" Kristoff rounded on her. "I was trying to do something nice for you. Something I knew would make you happy. Sure I didn't think it all the way through but at least I fucking did something."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You have to meet me halfway here, Anna! I can't be the only one making gestures and showing you how much I care about you."

"And breaking into my house is how you show me this? Kristoff, I need this to be my safe place!"

He glared at her, until her words sank into his thick skull. Her safe place. He stepped back and exhaled hard, shock and horror hitting him in the gut. He broke into her safe place. He may have destroyed her trust in him, and his chances with her. Good God, what have I done?!

"You're right," he muttered, covering his eyes with his hands, then fisting them in his hair. "You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... I didn't mean... I'm sorry."

"Kristoff?"

"I'll just... I'll go."

"Kristoff, no!" she stepped toward him, blocking the door with her petite frame. "I don't want you to go. I love it, and of course I care about you, but Kristoff please next time don't break into my place. I need it to be a safe place."

"Yes, of course. You're right. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

She couldn't help but grin at him, all 6-plus feet of blond muscle towering over her and looking like a scolded child. "I know. Thank you, Kristoff." She reached up to grab his shoulders and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "I don't need big gestures and fancy things to make me happy. I just want you."

He blinked, eyes wide, almost as if he couldn't believe what he heard. He looked at her and held his arms open to her. She smiled and stepped into his embrace. She felt warm and safe again, just like that.

She blinked, realizing something. It surprised him that she was mad. He did this to make her happy. It never occurred to him that she was someone who needed to be handled with kid gloves like brittle piece of porcelain.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into her hair.

"I forgive you," she replied, holding him even tighter. "I forgive you."

"I just wanted to give something back to you. To show you how much you mean to me."

"I know and I love it. Thank you. It's been so long since I've had a working piano."

"So..." he smiled, eyes pleading with her almost playfully. She could see where Temperance Dawn got it from. "So will you play something for me?"

She chuckled softly and gave him a quick kiss on the nose, then turned to her new piano.


	13. Rosemary Clooney Would Approve

**A/N: This chapter was a collaborative effort between frenzy5150 and I. She has been such a huge help in making this story what it is! Much love! As always please leave a review!**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 13: Rosemary Clooney Would Approve

Anna awoke alone the next morning, wrapped in Kristoff's flannel shirt, rested despite the hard time she had calming her mind after her date the night before. Typical couples would have spent the night together, she supposed. But Kristoff had to get home to Temperance Dawn who was still having a hard time after the whole crap with Scary Lady. And she wasn't ready to take that step yet. The fact that he respected that warmed her heart.

Her "fight" with Kristoff really drained her, though she didn't let him know that. It felt... good. Well, maybe good isn't the right word. It felt right to speak up for herself. It felt empowering to stand up for herself even when someone pushed back. And it felt damn good to be understood and treated like a normal human being. After dinner and several songs played for him on the piano, Kristoff gathered Anna into his lap on the couch and they tenderly, gently, explored each other. And that felt very very good. No, great. It felt great to spend an evening unafraid. To be touched with love and care. Between kisses they held each other and simply enjoyed the quiet time together. Neither of them had much of that lately. Anna was still afraid, still holding back. While she loved him, there were things she couldn't tell him. No matter how much she wanted to. She wasn't ready for him to fully see her. To see the scars. To see the wounds. She wanted nothing more than to feel worthy of him and of the love and care he showed her, but wounds to her soul were still too fresh.

Kristoff wouldn't let her clean up the kitchen after dinner either. He asked her to keep playing her piano while he did up the dishes, and she happily agreed. Along with the piano, the college gave Kristoff a bunch of old songbooks and sheet music for Anna to have. She was grateful to have more than just the small white leather-bound hymnal her mother gave her when she was just a child. Kristoff liked hearing the sounds of the piano and loved seeing the joy on her face as she played. While the surprised didn't play out the way he would have liked or imagined it would, the end result was still the same. Anna was happy. Anna was happy and that made up for his boneheaded decision to come into her house without her knowledge and consent. Anna forgave him, and that made his heart soar.

While he was cleaning he draped the red flannel shirt he had been wearing over a chair, revealing the grey ribbed tank he had on underneath. From where the piano was in the living room, Anna could see Kristoff's muscled back flex and turn as he washed her dishes by hand and put them back into her cupboards. She wondered how he stayed so fit even though his schedule was so packed with work, Temperance Dawn and now her. Despite almost spending nearly all her free time with him, there were still so many things Anna didn't know about Kristoff.

"Tillie said you came to live with them when you were seventeen?" Anna asked, after she finished her last song. "And you mentioned that your parents had divorced, but I don't know anything else."

"I'm actually shocked that Tillie hasn't told you yet. Usually that's her favorite topic," Kristoff said, drying his hands and coming around the couch to join her. He held out his hands to her and she happily joined him on the old couch.

"Maybe she thought it was something you needed to tell me yourself?" Anna asked, curling into his side.

"I'm surprised she'd let the opportunity slide," he grumbled. Anna giggled and gave him a little hug, and he smiled and draped his arm along her shoulders.

"Well Paul Collins, my birth father, left my mom for another woman when I was about eight or nine. After that they used me to get back at each other all the time. It wasn't fun. Then Hannah, my birth mom, got real sick and couldn't take care of me anymore. She died when I was 13," Kristoff said, playing with ends of Anna's braids. He felt her arm tighten consolingly around his waist. "I bounced around foster and group homes for a few years before the state finally placed me with Bulda and Pabbie. I was a real angry teen and didn't want anything to do with anybody. But Bulda and Pabbie, through their magic, it's the only thing to call it really, helped me heal and gave me what I desperately wanted: a place where I belonged. A family to call my own."

A family. Anna was beginning to discover what that really was. She gave Kristoff a soft smile. "Mom wasn't always so bad, when I was younger," she said. "She had her days when we would take walks and go to the library or to the little church by our house. I loved it. The church reminded me of Green Gables, white with green shutters and doors. The minister was an older man who loved to sing. Mr. Andrew would lead the small congregation in the hymns while his wife Miss Alice would play the piano."

Kristoff trailed his fingertips along her arm. He loved hearing about the good times in Anna's life. It made the bad seem that much worse. "Miss Alice would come over to the house to help Mama when she was having a hard time and would help me with my music. She tried to get Mama the help she needed but when Marcie Delano felt threatened she had a tendency to bite the ones trying to help her."

"Sounds familiar," Kristoff sighed. "I got the scars on my neck to prove it." He pointed to a spot on his where faint off colored lines remained. "Compliments of Miranda Lynn's fingernails after I told her we were going to stay in Arendelle to raise Tempe."

His eyes fluttered shut as anna's soft fingers felt the barely there ridges on his neck. "If I ever meet her..."

"The line to beat the shit out of that crazy witch starts with me and there might not be anything left after Tillie gets her turn."

"Do you know that she blames herself for the whole thing?" Anna asked.

"I do. And I wish she'd get over it. I don't blame Matilda Louise one bit for what happened with Miranda Lynn. I blame Miranda Lynn."

"She knows. But it's hard to let the negativity go sometimes." Anna sighed.

Kristoff held her even closer and kissed her temple. "Just gotta be patient," he murmured.

Anna began to yawn. It was getting late. "I should get going," Kristoff said, looking at the clock on the wall. "Tempe's been having a hard time getting back to a normal sleep schedule."

"Give her a kiss for me," Anna said, getting up from the couch. The old piece of furniture creaked and sighed in relief as Kristoff got up as well. He gathered up the things he had brought with him.

"Always. Since you'll actually appreciate the cheesecake, I left the remains in the fridge," Kristoff said.

"Thank you." She walked with him to the door, his large frame filling it. "I had a great time tonight. Just promise me you'll never break into my house again."

"I promise." He tilted her chin up to meet his lips and gave her a long, lingering kiss. "Good night, Anna."

"Good night, Kristoff." She stood in her door watching him get into his old truck coaxing it to turn over. Once he was out of sight, she sighed contentedly as she closed and locked her front door. She gathered up the stray teacups and put them in the sink. She glanced at the table and saw his red flannel shirt still hung over the chair he left it on. She picked it up, placing the soft fabric against her face, taking in his scent. A mixture of saltwater, grease, laundry soap and Old Spice. She turned off the lights in the main room, checking her windows to make sure they were locked. She went into her room and turned on the small AC unit in her window. The unit was old and Anna was always worried that it would blow at any moment, but the nights were so sultry sleeping without it was misery.

She stripped down and slipped into Kristoff's shirt. His warmth still there and she climbed into bed, a hopeful smile on her face.

* * *

"Anna! Anna!" Tillie said, knocking.

"Come on in, Tillie," Anna called.

Tillie hit the breaks when she saw her best friend sitting at the piano wearing nothing more than her brother's long flannel shirt. "What the hell is that?"

"What?" Anna asked, closing the lid to the piano.

"That!" Tillie exclaimed, pointing at Anna's choice of attire. "That's my brother's shirt."

"So what if it is?" Anna countered. "Do you want some tea?"

"No I don't want tea! I want to know why you're wearing my brother's shirt at nine in the morning."

"He left it here last night after he made me dinner."

"Well that explains the whistling. I can only assume by the smile on your face that you're happy."

"Yeah Tillie, I am."

* * *

"How's Temperance Dawn been doing?" Anna asked Bulda one evening, a few days after her and Kristoff's dinner date. The kids had just finished up doing the dishes and were settled about the house playing, doing homework or something similar. Anna and Bulda sat close by at the breakfast bar, sipping tea.

"Slowly better," Bulda replied. Temperance Dawn and Lucy May sat nearby at their coloring table, each coloring and drawing quietly. "She still has her nightmares; damn near kills Kristoff Alastair when the poor child wakes up screaming. I don't think he's slept more than three hours a night this past week."

"I wish there was something more I could do to help her," Anna frowned into her teacup. _I wish there was something I could do to help them both._

"Anna Marcie, you do so, so much," she said, placing her plump black hands over Anna's. "Honey, you're the first woman that child has connected to since that horrid girl took her. Just being near her is helping. The nights you tuck her in and sing that precious song to her, she sleeps. You are helping." Bulda smiled warmly at her. "I know that knucklehead in the garage won't say it so I will. He is so, so happy you came to Arendelle. We all are. It has been of God."

A happy tear dripped from her eye and Bulda rubbed it away with her thumb. "I have never had any of this," Anna said, waving her hand in the air. "And I always wondered what it would be like."

"I'll promise you this, sweetheart, no matter what happens between you and my son, you'll always have a place in this family. In fact, I may unadopt him and keep you and Temperance Dawn," Bulda grinned. Anna couldn't help but giggle.

A crash was heard upstairs and Bulda looked at the ceiling and shouted, "Justin Carl and Stephen Michael! Bed! Now!"

"But Mama!" The voices of the two boys echoed down the stairs.

"Don't make me come up there!"

"Yes ma'am."

"How'd you know it was them?" Anna asked.

"When one has nine children, a grandchild and a dog, one learns whose crashes are whose."

She got up, leaving Anna at the bar to supervise the homework doers and the colorers. Anna slid off the stool and joined Junebug Carly and Penny June at the kitchen table. Junebug Carly was working on her spelling words and asked Anna to quiz her. Anna didn't dare ask Penny June if she needed help. She was in all Advanced Placement classes and Anna had next to no clue about what she was studying.

Temperance Dawn got up from her little table with Lucy May and climbed up into Anna's lap, showing her yet another picture she had drawn for Anna. This one had a menagerie of dogs, cats, rabbits, and even a turtle, and all had their own set of butterfly wings. Temperance Dawn laid her head down on Anna's chest, wrapping her small arms around Anna's waist. Anna held her close, absently smoothing her blond locks as she admired her drawing. Penny June looked up from her textbook and smiled wide before returning to her studies.

Kristoff was under his truck changing the oil when his phone rang. He pushed himself out from under the old truck, wiping his hands on his jeans before answering.

"Kristoff Bjorgman," he said.

"Hey, this is Joseph Sanderson. Jillian Sanderson's husband," the voice on the other side said.

"Yeah, sure. What can I do for you Mr. Sanderson?"

"Jillian's been put on bed rest and we won't be able to use the tickets to Charleston House's annual big band dinner next week," Mr. Sanderson explained. "Well anyway, Jillian cannot stop raving about those tiny cakes that redheaded girl on your crew made for her shower. She wanted me to call you and ask if you had a way to get in touch with her. Jillian wants her to have the tickets. As a thank you."

Kristoff smiled. He was forming the date in his head as Joseph Sanderson talked. "That's thoughtful of you, thanks. If you bring them to the catering office, Bulda will make sure Anna gets them."

"Oh thank you so much. Jillian will be so relieved. She hated to think of those tickets going to waste. Oh and she wanted me to order two dozen of those little cakes for when we have the welcome home party for the baby."

"All things Bulda can take care of when you come by the office," Kristoff said.

"Thank you so much. Jillian will be so happy."

Kristoff hung up with Mr. Sanderson and started cleaning up. It was getting close to Temperance Dawn's bedtime. Even with a house full of family, he made it a point to always be the one to put her to bed. More so now since she was still having such a hard time. He left the oil pan under his truck and went inside to wash his hands. He saw Anna standing at the sink, rinsing out teacups and balancing an almost asleep Temperance Dawn on her hip. His heart swelled at the sight of his dreams coming true.

"Do you want me to take her up to bed?" Kristoff asked, coming up behind Anna, kissing her temple.

"She's almost out," Anna said, smiling up at him. "I don't mind."

"Okay, sweetheart," Kristoff said, tucking a lock of Anna's hair behind her ear. Tempe always seemed to sleep better when both he and Anna tucked her in. "When she's down, I've got something to tell you."

"Ok. Come on Paps, you're getting sleepy."

"No, I'm not," Temperance Dawn mumbled, nearly asleep. "You're sleepy."

"Yep, it's bedtime," Anna smiled. "You want to walk or do you want me to carry you?"

"I can't walk. I'm too tired."

"All right then. Let's go."

"I'll be right behind you," Kristoff said.

"It's okay Daddy. I just want Miss Anna," Temperance Dawn said.

Kristoff nodded, pleased she was comfortable enough to not need him. "Guess I'll go finish up on my truck then."

Anna carried Temperance Dawn up to her room. She hummed their song as she helped her change out of her clothes into her nightgown. Temperance Dawn crawled into her bed and gathered her Stitch stuffy into her arms, nuzzling it. Anna tucked the blankets around her and kissed her forehead. "Good night my precious papillon. I love you."

"Good night Mommy," Temperance Dawn said, almost asleep. "I love you, too."

Of all the things Anna was prepared for Temperance Dawn to say to her, that was the last thing she expected the little girl to say to her. Anna nodded, smiled and turned out the overhead light, leaving the butterfly lamp on. She leaned against the wall, heart fit to burst that her precious little angel's words. She flipped video monitor on and went back downstairs and out to the garage where Kristoff was working under his truck.

"Papillon's down for the count," Anna said, pulling up a stool and setting the monitor on the work bench. "What did you need to tell me?"

"Umm, I got a call from Joseph Sanderson, Jillian Sanderson's husband," Kristoff said. "The lady you made the petits fours for her baby shower."

"Oh, was there a problem?" Anna asked, fearful that she had done something wrong.

"Apparently, she's telling all her friends about them and just loves them," Kristoff said, noticing the apprehension in her voice. "Well Joseph said that she's been put on bedrest and won't be able to use their tickets to the Charleston House Country Club's 40's Cabaret night next week and she was insistent that you get them. As a thank you for making her shower so special."

"Wow. A 40's cabaret? That sounds like so much fun. I will have to be sure to send them a thank you note," Anna said. No one had ever given her anything before and something so unique and special was unfathomable for her. "Maybe Tillie would want to go..."

Kristoff dropped the wrench he was using and it landed on his face. He swallowed the curse word that usually accompanied such a drop. "Tillie? You-you'd want Tillie to go with you? To a fancy country club dinner and dancing thing?"

"Well, she does love music and dancing. So does Grace Leanna. I bet they'd have so much fun together at a place like that. Can you imagine? I wouldn't even know what do do with myself at a place like that. I wonder if they'd want-" Anna rambled on, not realizing.

"Sweetheart, they're _your_ tickets," Kristoff reminded her. "Jillian was adamant that _you_ have them."

"Oh, right. Oops. I've never had tickets before. To anything. I guess it would be silly if I didn't use them. Yes, I should use them, that's what Mrs. Sanderson wants. And in Charleston, wow! I've never been. I-" She stopped mid-ramble, an idea blossoming in her mind. "I'm sure Tillie would enjoy it, but maybe someone else would like to go with me," she smiled shyly at the two legs sticking out from under the truck.

He rolled himself out from under the truck and caught her shy smile. "Oh? Have someone in mind?"

"Maybe," she bit her lip and looked down.

"Yeah?" he stood slowly, wiping his hands on a rag.

"Yeah, maybe someone else would enjoy a fancy catered party he didn't have to cook for? I mean, it could be a romantic date, maybe?" she glanced up at him through her lashes.

"Maybe," he cupped her blushing cheek, smearing a streak of engine grease over her freckles.

"And there'll be dancing. I don't dance," she murmured, and he stepped closer to her.

"That's ok, I don't either," he said as she placed her hands on his chest. He placed his other hand on her back, fingers splayed between her shoulder blades. "Are you asking?"

"Are you saying yes?"

"I think I am," he whispered, voice low. She rolled up onto her toes and wrapped her arms around his sweaty, grimy, greasy neck and kissed him, softly. He pulled her in close and gladly returned her kiss. "Oh I most definitely am."

* * *

"You're kidding me?!" Tillie exclaimed. "You're going to Charleston House for a cabaret with my brother?"

"I would pay big money to see that big guy light on his feet," Grace Leanna added. The girls were setting tables in the dining room for the last big wedding of the summer.

"I can hear you, you know!" Kristoff called from the carving station.

"Anyway, you have any idea what you're going to wear?"

"Any nice clothes I have Tillie, are either yours or Grace Leanna's."

"Hmm," Tillie said, the wheels in her head turning. "We can check Amazon after dinner. I'm sure I can find you something."

"Yo, these tables aren't going set themselves," Kristoff called out again. "Bulda wants this done by the time she gets back from dropping the boys off at karate."

"Yes sir, captain sir!" Grace Leanna said, saluting her brother.

* * *

Anna's green and burgundy dress hung in its plastic from the cleaners in her closet. She and Tillie had found it at the antique store and did a bit of altering to get it to fit just right. She stood in front of her mirror feeling completely defeated. She ran her fingers over the pitted grooves on her back and shoulders left there by a belt. On her wrists marks left from harsh rope. A burn on her forearm from when her mother went crazy after Elsa ran away. Each was ugly and made Anna feel less worthy of going to such a nice event like the one she and Kristoff were attending. Less and less worthy of Kristoff himself. He was going to see them eventually. Feel them. She lightly felt the grooves in her wrists and shuddered at the memory of how they got there. She shoved it down and, like Rayna taught her, focused on the positive that was in front of her instead. A night at a fancy country club with the man she loved. Truly loved.

She did her best on her makeup. Tillie usually helped her but she wanted to get ready at home, on her own. This was one night she had always dreamt about. Anna always saw the magazines at the grocery stores of those glamorous girls all dressed up for award shows, and she wanted so much to be like them. Now she was going to get her chance. Tillie and Grace Leanna loaned her their makeup and a step-by-step instructions so she could do it herself. It took her a little while to get the hang of everything.

She smiled as she thought of the afternoon she and Tillie found her dress. Tillie was an avid antiques shopper and always managed to find something fantastic. And the thing about the South, antiques were everywhere. Tillie disappeared into the clothes and didn't emerge for almost forty-five minutes. Anna browsed, unsure of what she was really looking for until she found the antique tea sets. She carefully picked up the delicate china cups, turning them in her hands, inspecting every detail. And that's where Tillie found her, carrying a green and burgundy dress. Her friend pushed her towards the dressing room. The dress was made from shiny taffeta, tulle and satin, and enough netting under the skirt to make it poofy and swish. Anna was sure it would fit, she was so small, it was easy for her to find clothes that fit. But Tillie was insistent that Anna try the dress on.

"We may need to alter it a bit to fit perfectly," Tillie said. "You don't want to have to be pulling up the top all night."

Anna slipped out of her clothes, ignoring the ugly scars on her back apparent in the mirror. She stepped carefully into the dress and zipped it up. It was snug but still fit. Anna was sure it wouldn't need any alteration. "Tillie, it fits," Anna called from behind the door.

"So let me see it," Tillie said.

"You're not going to like what you see, Tillie."

"Anna, just come out."

"I warned you." Anna stepped out and for the first time she allowed someone other than the nurses at the ER when she came in after her miscarriage. She took a small turn so Tillie could see the dress.

"Yes, this dress is perfect! The color is brilliant on you! I don't know what you were worried about. Just need to take it in a bit up in the OH MY GOD!" Tillie exclaimed, her hands covering her mouth. Anna hung her head. Tillie pushed her back into the dressing room and pulled Anna into her arms. "That asshole! Did he do this to you?" Tears stung Tillie's eyes as she looked over her friend's back. Tillie's light brown fingers softly traced the lines and pits cut into her back and shoulders. "Kristoff is going to pound this guy into the ground if he ever shows his face here," Tillie practically growled. "Assuming I leave him anything to pound on!"

"Tillie, please! Please don't tell him," Anna begged. "He has enough to worry about with Temperance Dawn. I don't want him to know."

"Anna, Kristoff's going to see them eventually. And he's not going to think of you any differently. None of us do, I promise you that," Tillie hugged her tightly. "Honey, what that asshole did to you will never, ever happen with Kristoff."

"I know. I just don't want to worry him with it yet."

"Well, I do know that shea butter can soften scars and make them less noticeable. Maybe Kristoff can help you with that."

"Tillie!"

"What?"

"You're incorrigible!" Anna giggled, hugging her tight.

* * *

If Anna was nervous, Kristoff was a total wreck. He got soap in his eyes while he was in the shower, distracted by the thought of holding Anna in his arms on the dance floor. He cut himself shaving, wondering if she was going to wear her hair down. He spilled shoe polish all over the floor, so enthralled at the idea of taking Anna on a date away from the prying eyes of his family. Snapped off three buttons because his mind was on how cute she was asking him to come with her, and how different their kiss was when he said yes.

"Boy, what has got you so distracted that I've got to sew buttons back on your only good shirt?" Bulda said when Kristoff sheepishly brought her his shirt.

"I love her Mama. So much, it scares me," Kristoff said, his head down, so quiet he was nearly mumbling.

Bulda walked around the table and gave him a hug. "Well it's about time you admitted it," she grinned. Of course she heard him. The woman had supersonic hearing. "In the fridge there is something I want you to take with you."

"Mama, I already got Anna a rose."

"You and them roses. This is a corsage, to go on her wrist. Maryanne at Walton's made it special and you will give it to Anna."

"Yes, ma'am."

Kristoff went over to the fridge and opened it up to find the corsage in its plastic breathable box. The piece was five white roses, a large one in full bloom was in the center and the other four acted like compass points. Little seed beads like pearls stuck into the flowers and a rhinestone bracelet to ease in the wearing. "Mama, this is perfect. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. And don't think I notice you sweet-talking me with 'Mama' when you want something," Bulda said. "Good lord, boy. When as the last time this shirt was ironed?"

"The last time you did it?"

"You marry that girl or I will knock you senseless, you hear me?"

"If she'll have us," Kristoff sighed wistfully. "I'm a package deal, remember?"

"Don't I know it."

A shriek of terror and the running of feet echoed from the upstairs. Both Kristoff and Bulda looked up at the ceiling and yelled together, "Justin Carl, stop putting frogs in your sister's bed!"

* * *

Kristoff stood in the mirror of his bathroom, Temperance Dawn sitting at the small table, her coloring books and crayons spread all over. He had been arguing with his hair for the past twenty minutes. He tried slicked back and hated it. He left it how he usually did it and hated it. He wanted to be perfect for her just like she was to him.

"Tempe? What should I do with my hair?"

"I'm five, Daddy. I don't care about boy hair."

"Some help you are."

"I'm not supposed to be helpful. That's not my job."

"And what is your job?"

"To be Papillon and color to my heart's content."

"I see Aunt Tillie's been teaching you some big words." Kristoff joined Temperance Dawn at the table. He was wearing his dark blue suit, a burgundy tie he borrowed from Pabbie's closet and decided on slicking his hair back so it was out of his face. "Well? Do you think Miss Anna will like it?"

"I think Mommy will love it," Temperance Dawn said, reaching for a pink crayon.

Kristoff blinked. "Temp, what did you call Anna?"

"Don't let Mommy cry tonight. She can't cry anymore. I don't want her to be sad anymore."

"Temperance Dawn, who told you to call Anna that?"

"I did. Grandma Bulda said wishes are good, but you need to do more than wish to make them come true. I wished for Miss Anna to be my mommy. She'll be a good mommy."

Kristoff let out a heavy sigh. "Temperance Dawn, we need to let Miss Anna make that choice for herself, okay?"

"I love Miss Anna, Daddy. And she loves me. Don't you love Miss Anna too?"

"I do. I really do. But Temp, Miss Anna's been hurt. Badly. We have to be patient and be there when she's ready to love us both. Do you understand?"

"Yes Daddy."

"Mind Grandma and be a good girl this evening."

"I will Daddy. Junebug Carly said she needed my help with her plan."

"No crickets this time."

"Yes Daddy."

* * *

Anna was ready way before she thought she would be. Two hours to get ready may have been a bit much, but she'd never done anything like this before and she wanted to be perfect. Well, as perfect as her imperfect self could be.

No. No negativity! Focus on the positive, like the dress. The green was stunning against her pale freckled skin, and the burgundy really brought out the red in her hair. The bodice was snug but not uncomfortable, and the skirt flared out over her hips and flounced nicely when she turned. Tillie did a wonderful job altering it, and only hugged Anna fourteen times during the whole process. She said she wouldn't need it, but she lent Anna the simple black cardigan that waited for her on the back of the couch. Anna kept her make-up simple and decided to wear her hair down, remembering how much Kristoff liked it down. She curled the ends, not really knowing what else to do with it.

So, with a half hour on her hands, she sat at the piano with a Disney songbook she picked up at the library the last time she took her Papillon to story time. She was learning the opening to Part of Your World, Temperance Dawn's favorite song. She was working on the second part of the song, humming along as she practiced the chords and notes. "Watch and you'll see, someday I'll be, part of your world..."

She paused for a moment and looked out her window. He would be there soon. Anna was nervous. Unlike their last two dates, she was waiting for him to arrive to take her somewhere. She wasn't wearing the cardigan just yet. As warm as it was, she wanted to wait until it was closer to the time he would to arrive before putting it on. A part of her didn't want to wear it, to let Kristoff see her scars, to see what Hans had done to her. But the part that wanted it hidden forever convinced her that Kristoff would find them revolting and turn away from her. She got up from the piano and slipped it on.

She heard his truck before she saw it. The old truck rumbled down the road, engine grumbling as he slowed to a stop in front of her little cottage. Kristoff killed the engine and smiled when he saw the curtains move, catching the first glimpse of the woman he loved. He picked up the corsage box and hopped out of the truck. He adjusted his jacket, walked up to Anna's door and knocked softly. True to his word, he would never enter her home without permission. Anna smiled shyly as she opened the door for him.

"Good evening, my Anna," Kristoff said, his dorky half grin taking up residence on his face. "May I come in for a moment?"

"You may, Kristoff," Anna replied, looking down, her hair falling into her face.

"Whoa," Kristoff gasped, seeing her all dressed up. "Anna, you look amazing!"

"Really?"

"I never say anything I don't mean, remember?"

"That's right, I do," she chuckled softly. "Thank you. What's that in your hand?"

"Oh this?" Kristoff opened the box and took out the corsage. "It's for you. It goes on your wrist."

"Oh, Kristoff, it's beautiful." Kristoff took her left hand in his and slipped it over her wrist. The fragrant roses were pleasing to her senses and she felt the nerves slip away. "Thank you."

"Shall we?" Kristoff offered his arm to Anna and she gladly took it. She picked up the small black clutch that Grace Leanna loaned her. Kristoff was playing up every single gentleman fantasy Anna ever had, and it made her heart flutter. He walked her to the truck. He opened the truck door for her and waited to close it until she was settled. He circled round and climbed in on his side. "Anna?" he asked before starting the truck.

"Yes, Kristoff?" she said, turning to face him.

"I love you."

Her breath caught and she smiled, looking down at her shoes. "Kristoff..."

"So what do you think? I bet the passed appetizers are caviar and toast points."

"Bet, huh? What do you bet?"

His warm, rich laughter filled the truck cab. He gently took her hand and lifted it to his lips. "Ok, for every time I'm wrong, I'll give you a kiss."

"And when you're right?" she asked, a bit breathless.

"You give me a kiss."

She blushed and looked down at her shoes again, then looked back at him through her lashes. "Deal."

"Deal," he kissed her fingers. "So, what do you think they'll serve?"

"Bruschetta on flatbread."

"And dessert? Some towering frosted monstrosity I bet."

"Nah, something elegant like cheesecake and fruit," Anna countered.

They were both nervous, shy in a way that didn't really make any sense. But drive into Charleston was filled with laughter, and the night ahead was filled with promise.

* * *

The valet opened the door for Anna when Kristoff pulled up in front of Charleston House Country Club. "Right this way ma'am," the teenager said.

"It tends to stick when going into reverse," Kristoff said to the valet as he climbed out. Anna stood under the awning waiting for Kristoff to join her. The music poured through the open doors and Anna's excitement rose. The gentlemen outside held the door open for her, tipping their heads and calling her ma'am. While she didn't feel like a ma'am, it sure felt nice to be acknowledged as someone who frequented a place such as this. She placed her hand on Kristoff's arm and they walked through the revolving doors and entered the Charleston House Country Club. Well-dressed men lined the walls offering directions, taking coats to the coat check and offering tall glasses of champagne. A small table with a woman was at the entrance to the ballroom of the club.

"Good evening and welcome to Charleston House," she said. "May I have your names, please?"

"Anna Delano and Kristoff Bjorgman," Anna said. "Guests of Joseph and Jillian Sanderson."

The woman looked over the list in front of her and smiled. "Ah yes. Mr. Sanderson sent word that anything you need this evening will be charged to his account here and not to worry about a thing. Enjoy your evening." She gave them both a big smile and waved them into the ballroom.

Anna was shocked. She expected to have to cover additional costs of the evening such as a bar tab or tips to the waitstaff. But to have everything covered was too much. Kristoff, noticing her hesitation, whispered in her ear. "Sweetheart, it's fine. This is all for you."

She nodded, looping her arm through his, careful to not jostle the corsage too much. She wanted to keep it as pristine as she could. She kept every rose he had given her and this corsage was something she wanted to keep forever. They stepped through the curtain and were transported back in time. All the waiters were dressed in 40's era attire. The decorations something she'd only ever seen in magazines. There were dozens of little tables scattered throughout the ballroom, leaving a large rectangle in the center for dancing. The band was just getting set up. A statuesque woman, reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald was warming up on the stage. She wore a long glittering black gown, fitted and flared out at the bottom that reminded Anna of Rosemary Clooney in White Christmas.

"Name, ma'am?" another waiter asked, coming up to her and Kristoff.

"Anna Delano, guest of Mr. Joseph Sanderson," Anna answered.

"Right this way, ma'am. I'll show you to your table."

Kristoff, knowing the Sandersons better than Anna did, had a feeling they were going to be at the best table in the place. And he was right. They were just off the dance floor, in the center of the room, with a perfect view of the band and the singer. The waiter pulled out Anna's chair for her and pushed her in. Kristoff was a little annoyed because he wanted to do that. Well, he was sure he'd get plenty more opportunities as the night wore on.

On the tables were menus of the appetizers, both plated and passed. Kristoff won that particular bet: Scandinavian caviar on toast points for the passed, along with mushroom caps, and and little skewers of fresh made mozzarella, tomatoes and basil leaves. And for the plated: fresh low country crab cakes, mushroom risotto and scallops. Dinner was a choice between made to order prime rib, duck in white wine and truffles, or lobster tails with butter. Sides were garlic mashes potatoes, baked potatoes, asparagus or a bitter green salad. Dessert was cherry cheesecake (Anna won that one) or flourless chocolate cake with fresh made ice cream.

"Ladies and gentleman, may I welcome Miss Eliza Franklin and the Charleston Swing Band society bringing us the wonderful songs of the 1940's and 50's. Ladies and gentlemen, Eliza Franklin and the Charleston Swing."

The guests clapped and Miss Franklin began to sing, _Dream a Little Dream of Me_.

"Anna, would you like dance with me?" Kristoff said, offering his hand to her.

"I would love to dance with you."

He helped her up and led her out onto the dance floor, wrapping his arm around her waist and holding her left hand in his. While he wasn't a good dancer, at all, he took the teasing and laughs from his sisters when they helped learn just bit more. They swayed together, just enjoying being. Anna looked around to the other couples starting to join them on the dance floor. They were the youngest couple there. Which wasn't surprising, but nice. Kristoff pulled her closer to him, his hand sliding up her back. She shuddered as his fingers brushed over her cardigan between her shoulder blades.

Her mind went wild with fear. _He's going to feel them. He's going to be disgusted. I'm broken and horrible. He won't - he won't love me now._ Kristoff felt the bumps and grooves on her back through the thin sweater she wore and he knew. He knew what they were. He wouldn't say anything. Not then. Not there. Not on her special night with him. He'd never draw attention to them in a way that would utterly humiliate her. He wasn't like that. He'd never be like that. He loved her too much to ever hurt and use her like that. He pulled her in a litter closer, and he felt her relax in his arms. He swore right then that when the time came, he would prove to her how precious, beautiful and worthy she was. His Anna. His. His. His Anna.

The song concluded and Kristoff brought Anna's hand up to kiss her fingers, his eyes smiling over the corsage at her wrist. The smile she gave him was warm and soft.

"Anna, do you want some wine?" Kristoff asked as they sat down. He held her hand, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. "Or we can start ordering our appetizers and dinner?"

"How about we get one of every appetizer and share?" Anna asked, squeezing his hand.

"That sounds great."

Kristoff flagged down their waiter. "Uh, yeah we'd like to get one of each of the plated appetizers and I will have a Sam Adams lager."

"A Riesling, please," Anna said, grateful that Kristoff didn't order for her.

"Right away ma'am, sir," the waiter said.

He was off and soon came back with their drinks. "To you, Anna. And those adorable little cakes." Anna looked down at her plate. "Hey? What's wrong?"

"Everything's changing," Anna whispered.

"All good things though, sweetheart. All good things. I promise." He took her left hand in his, kissing the knuckles.

Their appetizers came and they sampled from each other's plates. The flavors and textures were all so different, she couldn't decide which one was her favorite. The band took a break as the waiters took dinner orders and refilled drinks. Knowing he had to drive Anna home Kristoff only had the one beer and switched over to soda. Anna had two glasses of wine, then had iced tea. Dinner came, Kristoff the prime rib, Anna the lobster.

They, of course, shared. Anna had never had lobster before and loved it. The prime rib was so tender, but Anna actually liked Kristoff's grilled steaks better. Once dinner was over the band and singer came back. It was mostly high-paced swing but Anna and Kristoff did their best to keep up. Kristoff loved seeing her smile, loved the way her dress swung with her lithe frame as they spun about the dance floor. Anna laughed and loved watching the older ladies with their hapless husbands trying to keep up with the tempo. After three or four fast-paced songs Eliza Franklin took to the microphone and sang Nat King Cole's Unforgettable.

Kristoff pulled Anna close to him, letting her rest her head on his chest. He softly sang along with Miss Franklin, meaning every word he crooned into her hair. "Unforgettable, that's what you are. Unforgettable tho' near or far. Like a song of love that clings to me. How the thought of you does things to me. Never before has someone been more. Unforgettable in every way. And forevermore that's how you'll stay. That's why darling it's incredible that someone so unforgettable thinks that I am unforgettable too."

Anna's head was swimming. He loved her. He told her so on the way here. He felt her scars and didn't turn away. Maybe he was just being polite. Maybe he was going to wait until they got home to tell her that he didn't want to see her anymore. Kristoff loved her. That's the thought that stayed at the forefront of her mind. He loved her. That had to count for something.

Kristoff noticed that Anna had gone silent on him. Maybe singing to her was too much. Maybe he was too soon on telling her that he loved her. Maybe something else was going through her mind.

"Sweetheart, you want to go get some air?" Kristoff said, pulling back to look at her. Maybe something on her face would give her away, let him know what she was thinking. Anything to reassure him that he hadn't just fucked up everything all over again.

Anna nodded, smiling shyly, her hair falling into her face. He tucked the locks back behind her ear and smiled at her. He looped his arm around her waist and led her over to the terrace doors. They walked together in silence. The sweet smells of early fall wafted over the couple and Anna sighed contentedly.

"It's starting to smell like home," she said.

"Where was home?" Kristoff asked, pulling her closer when he felt her shiver slightly.

"White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia and before that a tiny little hamlet in the mountains no one has ever heard of," she answered. "The mountains were so crisp. I loved the way they smelled after it rained."

He found a low bench overlooking the water and they sat down. He couldn't get over how beautiful she looked. "Anna, there's something that's been on my mind all night and I don't know the right way to tell you this."

 _Here it comes. He's going to tell me he made a mistake. That he doesn't love me. That he misspoke._ Anna braced herself for the coming heartbreak. There would be no staying in Arendelle after this. She couldn't stay there and see him everyday. She would have to leave. And start over. Again.

"Temperance Dawn called you her mommy tonight," Kristoff said.

 _Wait, what?_ Anna wasn't expecting that. A lot of things but not that. "Again?"

"Again? She called you that before?"

"Only once, when I put her to bed the other night, when you told me about this event. She said goodnight Mommy."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because she said it when she was nearly asleep. I didn't think she knew what she was saying. I-I'm sorry, I should've mentioned it-"

"No, Anna please don't apologize," he grasped her hands and held them gently. "You didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to warn you, so it wouldn't surprise you. I don't want you to feel pressured into anything you're not willing to do."

"I have to admit it was quite a shock," Anna agreed.

"She's more and more like the carefree kid she used to be before, y'know, and it's thanks to you. She's healed so much since you came into our lives. We... we both have." He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up a bit before rubbing his neck nervously. "It means a lot to me, what you've done for her. No matter what happens between us, because I know I'll mess up again, I want you to know how much I appreciate what you've brought out in her."

She pressed her lips to his gently, lovingly, and was thrilled to feel him respond in kind. She pulled away first and laid her head on his shoulder, reveled in the feel of his arms holding her so close. She should tell him. It would be the perfect moment. She should tell him she loved him. That she never wanted to be parted from him. But she held back, still felt fear in the back corners of her mind. Well, if she couldn't tell him, maybe she could show him. She sighed happily and kissed his cheek.

"I can guarantee your cheesecake is better than theirs," Anna said. "Why don't we go back to your place and have dessert there?"

"I like the sound of that," Kristoff said. She shivered slightly. He shrugged out of his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

"Should we go check on Temperance Dawn?" Anna whispered as they walked into the house.

"A quick check," Kristoff said. "I don't want to wake her up."

Anna nodded, holding his hand as they slipped up the stairs in the main house to Temperance Dawn's room. They didn't notice Pabbie sitting over on the living room couch, his book hiding his face. He didn't say anything, but he did chuckle to himself. He was happy to see his son so happy.

They peeked into the quiet bedroom. The butterfly lamp shined its soft light, the little girl clutching tight to her Stitch stuffy, sleeping soundly. They slip into her room and each gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Temperance Dawn smiled in her sleep and nuzzled into her toy, sighing.

"Come on before she wakes up," Kristoff whispered, pulling Anna out of the room and closing the door gently behind him. "I think I have some ice cream or cookies stashed in my pantry."

"I don't want cookies or ice cream," Anna said, pushing a stray length of hair out of her face, feeling brave. "I just want you. Please?"

He looked at her, his brown eyes wide and darkening with a warmth she'd only seen hints of before, and then smiled at her. "Of course Anna. Come on." He took her hand and they slipped out of the house and over to his trailer. He unlocked the door and kept his back to her, resting his forehead on the chrome for a moment, gathering his thoughts as they galloped through him. "Anna, I love you, and I respect you, and I swear to God I will _never_ hurt you. If you come in here tonight, nothing will happen that you don't want or aren't ready for. I promise."

She pressed her hands on his shoulders, willing him to turn around and look at her. "I know."

He took her hand and led her into the trailer, closing the door and turning on the small lamp that shone with just enough light so he could see the shadows dancing on her face. God, she was beautiful. He pulled at his tie, tossed it aside and started unbuttoning the shirt. Anna turned away from him, blushing, dwarfed by his jacket still around her shoulders. She eased out of it and laid it over the bench next to her. When she turned back around Kristoff was standing there staring at her, shirt still on but unbuttoned and untucked, his black tank top covering his broad chest. His brown eyes are warm and dark in the low light.

"Anna, do you know what your are to me?" he whispered. She shook her head shyly. He reached out his hand for her and pulled her to him, losing his balance and landing them both his bed with a thump. "Apparently not my grace," he grumbled. She let out a light, breathless giggle, dizzy at the feel of his skin against hers. He regained himself and sat up, Anna in his lap. He took her right hand, placed it flat on his chest, and covered it with his own. Her eyes fluttered shut and her breath hitched at the warmth pressed against her fingers. "You mean more to me than any other woman who has ever been in my life. You are my anchor, my northern star, leading me home. I was so frozen and then you came and thawed my heart." Anna felt the strong, steady beat of his heart beneath her fingers. It sang to her. Her heart's song.

She cupped his jaw with her left hand and brought him down for her kiss. He brushed his fingers along her freckled cheek, caressing her jaw and down her slender neck. The shoulders of her sweater were falling down. "Anna," he breathed against her lips, adjusting her on his lap. He lightly traced the collar of her cardigan with his thumbs. "Let me seem your scars. Please?"

She trembled and looked away, brows furrowed. "But they're horrible and ugly."

"They're a part of you. And I love you." He would never get tired of telling her that he loved her. Not enough people had told her that in her life and he was going to make up for it. He slowly removed her corsage, exposing the marks around her wrist, kissing them. He lightly traced the discolored skin with his fingers. "He didn't know what he had," Kristoff murmured against her wrist. "Anna, please. Let me erase them."

She was breathing heavily, tears stinging her eyes. She felt her defenses and her insecurities melt under his loving gaze. She pressed her lips to his and slowly eased out of her sweater, letting it fall to the floor behind her. She gasped when she felt his hands travel from her waist to her exposed shoulders. His touch was soft, gentle and caring. He lifted them up and set her on her feet. He gently turned her around and began to kiss her back and shoulders. His fingers ghosted over each ridge, each groove, each tangle of badly-healed flesh, followed closely by his lips. She gasped, reeling at his touch, forcing herself to stay in the moment with him and not let her mind wander to the past and the horrors that resided there.

Kristoff turned her and kissed her deeply. He gathered her into his arms and laid them down on his bed, side by side. He traced the soft contours of her face. To think that after all she endured to get so many scars, so many layers of them, yet her heart was so full of love and she was willing to open it and share it with him. "You are so beautiful, my Anna. You may be the bravest person I've ever known."

He gazed at her with his honey brown eyes shining with love and desire. She'd never felt so cherished, so loved. She never knew touch like his before. She pulled him up onto her, wrapped her arms around his broad cheest. He buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, trailing hot open-mouthed kisses up and down the column of her neck until he found and latched onto her pulse point. He felt more than heard her moan with pleasure, and it sent shockwaves racing through every nerve. He kissed along her collar bone, fingertips caressing the skin at the edge of the bodice of her dress.

The weight of the world seems to float away as Anna held Kristoff tightly to her. His weight on her, the way she felt all evening as he held her, danced with her, sang to her. Every time the darkness closed in around her, she felt his hands on her, bringing her out. He kissed up to her jaw, then captured her lips again.

"Anna, I need you," he panted into her mouth. "I need you to be my family." His fingers traced her face and his other hand caressed her thigh, aching for the word to continue.

Anna gasped. Flashes and sparks of the past flashed in her mind. That cruel laughter, the snap of a thick leather belt cracking against her skin. She couldn't breathe. She had to to escape before she broke his heart.

"No," she whispered, softly, barely loud enough to hear herself. "Kristoff...no. Stop. Please. STOP!"

She struggled out from under him, leaving Kristoff to lean back, his breath catching; confusion and concern evident on his face. _What did I do now?_ She was wrapped in her own arms, raggedly breathing, forcing the panic back down. Kristoff reached out for her, hoping to bring her some comfort. She recoiled from his touch. "Anna?"

"I shouldn't have let it get this far," she said, tears streaming down her face. "I can't do this to you. I'm sorry. Please don't hate me."

"I could never hate you, Anna. I _love_ you. Please, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong. Please let me help you fix it."

"This is something you can't fix." She couldn't hold back the sob. The small trailer was closing in around her. She had to get out. She reached forward for the door to the bathroom and darted inside, locking herself inside. Leaning against the door, hugging her knees to her chest, the tears falling hard. Gasping, choking sobs, her whole body shaking in fear, despair and utter defeat. Leaving a bewildered Kristoff to make sense of this.

"No! Anna, please. Sweetheart, talk to me. Open the door. I'm not mad. Please, Anna. Please. Anna!"


	14. Everything is Falling Apart

**A/N: This chapter was a collaborative effort between frenzy5150 and I. She has been such a huge help in making this story what it is! Much love! As always please leave a review!**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 14: Everything is Falling Apart

"Anna? Sweetheart, please. Please come out. You don't have to be afraid of me," Kristoff said, sitting in front of the door of his bathroom. "Please. Anna, I love you. I love you. I love you. Please, Anna. I need you."

Anna sank to the floor, her dress bunching around her, creating a cocoon of tulle and satin. Pulling her knees to her chest, she covered her ears and rocked back and forth, sobbing uncontrollably. "Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace," she hummed, trying to regain control. But the darkness swallowed her whole, dragging her down, drowning her in fear and horror.

 _Crack! The leather belt flays against her back. She screams, the tie shoved in her mouth doing little to stifle her wails, unable to move away from the rain of blows, her wrists tied, trapping her. Crack after crack. Time and time again. The pain is unbearable. Unrelenting. She's wished for death so many times. His harsh voice, calling her the foulest of names as he uses her. His fingers burning into her throat as he takes and takes and takes._

She could hear Hans' cruel laugh, feel the harsh leather cut into her skin sure as if he were standing there delivering each blow. Far away in the void, she could make out a tiny spark of light. Nothing more than the flash of a match striking then faltering in the darkness. It was calling to her, softly calling her name, calling words of love and worth. As she reached for it, desperate, yet she was yanked back, held down by the fear and despair of the darkness. Gasping, fighting back, struggling to breathe, Anna looked up and saw herself in the mirror. Broken, beaten down, Hans' ghostly face appeared over her shoulder, taunting her. Sobbing, Anna balled her fist and slammed into his smug face. She cried out in pain, the real, physical pain breaking her out of the darkness. She heard Kristoff, her light, calling for her, begging her to open the door.

Kristoff placed his hands on the door, not pounding, not banging, only softness and care. She can't handle anger or irritation, and honestly he feels none of that at all, only rage for the asshole who made her like this. "Anna sweetheart please, I'm sorry," he said. "Please come out. I went too far. Please, please forgive me."

Anna stared at the glittering shards of glass in her skin, each with its own trickle of blood. The pain brings her back to the now. "Y-you didn't do anything wrong, Kristoff," Anna finally said, her voice raw and breaking in between the sobs. "It's me. Everything is my fault. I never should have let it get this far."

"Anna, please. I want to help you. Talk to me."

"I can't give you what you want. I never can," she cried.

"I don't understand, Anna."

"I will never be worthy of you."

"Don't say things like that Anna! Sweetheart, you are perfect. In every way." He longed for her to open the door. Longed to hold her, comfort her. Make this pain go away. "You're my northern star. Please, Anna, I know you're hurting. Let me help you heal."

"You can't heal this. I'm ruined. I can't give you what you deserve. I will never be enough for you."

Tears fall from his eyes as he listened to her talk through her sobs. Listened to oceans of pain and regret. His large frame shook with sorrow for her. "Sweetheart, please come out so we can talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about, Kristoff. I can't be a family. I can't give you a family."

"Anna, I don't understand."

"H-he beat me so bad when I told him I was pregnant," Anna sobbed. "He caused so much damage I lost the baby and got an infection and a-a-a clot." He felt her trembling through the thin door, heard her choke on her own sobs. "I'm twenty-three years old, Kristoff, and I had to have a hysterectomy. I can never give you a family."

Kristoff gasped, his hand covering his mouth, horrified that she's endured so much, carried so much pain inside her even in the months since she was free. The things he wanted to do to that asshole were too good for him. If he ever...he buried the anger, saving it to stew on another time. Right now he had to convince Anna to come out of the bathroom.

"God, Anna," he leaned his forehead against the bathroom door, letting his own tears flow freely. "I'm so sorry. I promise you that if I have any say you'll never know that kind of pain ever again. I love you, no matter what. It doesn't matter if you can't have kids."

"But I want to give you that. You deserve a girl who wants to have your child." _And I do. I so do._

"Anna, that doesn't matter to me. You, me and Tempe. That's a family. We don't have to have..."

"You say that now..."

"Yes, I say that now! I'll say it again a year from now. Five years, ten, even fifty years from now. I don't need you to give me a child for me to love you. I just need you. You, now and forever."

She's still crying behind the door, but it wasn't the gut-wrenching sobs. It's softer, quieter, and somehow sounds even more broken.

"Anna. Sweetheart, there are other ways. Look at my life. Do you honestly think I would have a problem with adoption?"

He heard her cough out a laugh between her tears. Progress. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Together, Anna. I love you. Your scars don't change that one bit. Not your outside ones, and not your inside ones either. Please, Anna. I love you."

A great shuddering sigh from behind the door, and a whispered, "And you never say anything you don't mean."

"Yes!" he pressed closer to the door. "Anna, sweetheart, I love you! If you can't trust anything else, trust that."

She slowly pushed herself up off the floor, the tears still falling but she was determined to beat this. Kristoff wasn't angry. He wasn't yelling, he wasn't demanding she come out. He was quiet, calm and hurting just as much as she was. She opened the door, cradling her hand in a washcloth. Kristoff scrambled to his feet, desperate to haul her into his embrace but determined not to overstep himself again.

"I'm sorry about the mirror," she whispered, looking down, not ready to meet his gaze. Anna's face was tear-stained and she was utterly spent. "I'll replace it."

"I don't care about the mirror," Kristoff said softly, tipping her chin up to look at him. "I care about you." She saw nothing but love and concern in his tear-streaked face, and it almost undid her. He touched her injured hand, silently asking, and she placed it in his. He smiled softly and led her to the sink, uncovered her hand and ran the cool water to rinse away the blood and bits of glass. "The nice part about being a foster home, the EMT's stock Bulda's first aid kit." he walked her over to sit on the edge of his bed. "Stay here, please. I'll be right back with it."

She nodded, her eyes still focused on her hand.

Kristoff left and Anna waited, her mind going a million miles a minute, second guessing everything that happened. _I should have just laid there. I ruined everything. I always ruin everything. When morning comes, he's going to see and everything will be different and it's my fault._ Another part of her screamed that that was wrong. That he'd never do that to her. She was so confused, so scared, so numb. The dull sting on her knuckles kept her from running away. Because that's what she does when things get hard. She runs. She's a coward.

The door to the trailer opened, and she flinched from the noise. Kristoff saw her jump, and it broke his heart. But he didn't mention it. "I, uh, I figured you'd rather have the Barbie bandaids than the ninja ones," Kristoff said sheepishly.

"Thank you," Anna whispered, her voice dull yet a small smile twitched at the corners of her lips. _That's it, sweetheart, keep fighting! You can do this!_

"Does it hurt? Do you want any aspirin?"

"No."

"Do you want me to take you home?"

The question hung in the air for several loaded, painful moments. "No," she husked out. She doesn't dare be alone. She knows if she goes home to that empty cottage, the nightmares will be overwhelming. She needed her lighthouse. She needed him. "I don't want to go home. Can I stay here tonight?"

"Of course Anna." Kristoff took down a flannel shirt from the cabinet and handed it to her. "This will be more comfortable than your dress. I'll give you your privacy. I gotta go return the first aid kit anyway."

She nodded, clutching the flannel close to her chest. He risked touching her, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear with an unsteady hand. She didn't flinch. Progress. He stepped out and closed the door quietly behind him.

She changed quickly, limbs moving stiffly by rote. She draped her dress over the bench and stared at it. It really was beautiful, and the way Kristoff looked at her when she wore it, like she was beautiful too. The way he touched her, like she was a real person worthy of respect. The way he danced with her, held her close, sang to her, kissed her, like she was deserving of that kind of love.

If only that were true.

He opened the door and saw her, dwarfed by his shirt, staring down at her dress. Her face was so full of longing and regret it cut at his heart. He walked slowly toward her, making sure she saw him so as not to spook her more.

She turned and looked up at him, "Are you mad at me?"

"Oh Anna, no! Why would I be mad? I told you, nothing was going to happen that you didn't want. And I stopped. I will never use you. I love you."

Anna barely understood what that word or feeling meant. Being around Kristoff and the others gave her an idea of what it should be, but she still was nervous. She had opened herself up and it didn't blow up in her face. At least not until she ruined it herself, that is.

"Anna?" he asked, opening his arms. "May I, um, can I, uh, would it be alright if I hold you? It's ok to say no, I understand. I won't do anything, I promise. I just want to help, I'm sorry. I-" he cut off when she walked into his arms and buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, letting go of a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He felt her tremble and start to cry again, so he picked her up and carried her over to the couch that was Tempe's bed. He sat her down on his lap and let her cry, holding her close, stroking her hair and shoulders lovingly, letting his own tears fall unhindered.

She eventually fell asleep in his arms, and still he held her close. He wanted to keep her demons at bay, but he needed her too. She kept his own darkness from consuming him. He wished her could explain that to her so she'd understand how much he needed her.

He picked her up and carried her over to his bed. He gently set her down and tucked her in. He lost himself in her face for several long moments. His mother once told him that your true self could be found in your sleeping face. She looked younger when she was asleep, her long lashes resting against her freckled cheeks. She looked calm, yet there was still a crease to her brows. Could she not find peace even in sleep? He ached to crawl into the bed beside her, to curl himself around her and hold her until they both found peace. But she didn't give him permission, and he didn't want to shatter the fragile progress they've made. "I love you, Anna," he softly kissed her brow, then walked back to Tempe's bed. He laid on his side and watched her, lost in thought until sleep finally claimed him as well.

* * *

Anna awoke with a start, unable to remember how she got into Kristoff's bed, alone. The early morning sun peeked through the curtains, shining on her face. The soft, even breathing of Kristoff on the other side of the trailer reminded her. She saw his sleeping form, head to the side, sitting up. He look like a little boy, with his hair falling into his face. So full of faith and trust in her. She put her dress back on, wrapped his blue flannel back around her and slipped out before he could wake up.

The streets of Arendelle were quiet and bare as she walked through town and back to her cottage. The events of the night before fresh in her mind. Both the horribleness that was the night in the trailer and the romantic perfection that was the evening. She smiled as she remembered how nice it felt when he held her in his arms as they danced. How loved she felt when he held her to him after her breakdown. She couldn't believe he hadn't given up on her. And she left without even saying good-bye. Maybe she should have left a note, telling him that she needed time. Time to figure out what she needed, what was wrong with her.

Kristoff awoke a while later and immediately looked over to his bed. It was empty. Maybe she was in the bathroom. He stood up, stretched out and walked over to the bathroom. Empty. He adjusted his sweats and found his flip flops and wandered over to the house. Maybe she's having coffee before the rest of the house got up. Still no Anna. He went up to Temperance Dawn's room, she might be cuddled in with her. Nothing.

He fished out his phone from his pocket and tapped on her photo, calling her. The number you are calling is unavailable. Please leave a message after the tone. "Anna? Sweetheart, where are you? Call me, please."

It wasn't like her to not answer his calls. Maybe she walked home. He should go check on her. Anna had a rough night, maybe she wanted to be alone. He could respect that. Maybe she just wanted to go home and change before breakfast. He'd giver her her space. He wouldn't start worrying about her until after breakfast. If she didn't come for breakfast, he'd call her again.

Anna didn't come for breakfast. She didn't come for lunch. Or dinner. While she answered his calls, told him she was fine, she was far from it. Kristoff knew that, but he didn't press. He could be patient, even if it killed him.

* * *

Anna found a new routine in the morning now that she wasn't going to the Bjorgman's for breakfast. Tillie had loaned her a book on Hindu meditation and spiritual yoga. Anna spent twenty to thirty minutes every morning in meditation and another thirty minutes doing yoga. She was learning how to focus her mind on the positives of her life. She began creating her own mantras for the day.

"I own my thoughts," Anna said, looking into the mirror. "I own my reactions. I own my emotions. I control my life. My past no longer defines me."

"Anna Marcie Delano!" Tillie shouted from the front porch. "Get your ass out here!"

"Nice to see you too, Tillie," Anna muttered, unfolding herself from the floor and walking to the door. She unlocked it and was nearly trampled by her best friend.

"You want to tell me why my brother is staring at his phone like a thirteen year old girl?" Tillie demanded. "Or why my niece keeps staring at the door or running to the window every time she hears a sound outside?"

"I am taking time for myself, Tillie," Anna said. "Kristoff knows that."

"Does he? Have you actually talked to him about it?" Before Anna could answer, Tillie kept going. "Because he doesn't. What he knows is that you spent the night is his trailer after a massive panic attack. Then you left in the morning without saying goodbye. You send him probably the most cryptic message and then nothing." Anna tried to interject again, but Tillie held up her hand. "I'm not finished. You two need to learn to talk to each other. Kristoff will give you all the time in the world that you need. He's willing to do that. But I'm not." She took a breath and took Anna's hands in hers. "Look Anna, you're my best friend. And as your best friend I am entitled to tell you this. You have got to pull your head out of your ass and see him. Truly see him."

"I do see him, Tillie."

"No, you don't. You don't see that he's hurting just as badly as you are. I haven't seen him in this much pain since he saw his child taken from her own yard, right in front of him," Tillie said. "He ran after the car until he couldn't run anymore. He had to file reports. Talk to detectives, the FBI. We almost lost Stephen Michael because of all the shit that whore put him through."

Anna blinked. "He's never told me about Temperance Dawn's kidnapping."

"He never will. It's too painful for him to remember," Tillie said. "Anna, Kristoff loves you. And not because you're broken or he has some knight in shining armor complex. He loves you because he does."

Anna looked down at the floor, wringing her hands together. "Tillie, I love Kristoff. I do, but-"

"There is no but, Anna. Miranda Lynn had a but after everything she told him. You can't have conditions on love. It doesn't work that way. I don't know what happened at the night of the event but it's not worth you throwing away the best thing that ever happened to either of you."

"But you don't understand..."

"You're right, I don't! Explain it to me."

"None of this would have happened if I had just laid there and let him have his way," Anna said, moving over to the couch.

"You did not just say that," Tillie all but growled, getting her second wind. "One, your body is yours. No one has the right to do anything to you without your consent. And two, do you honestly think Kristoff would have kept going if you weren't really into being with him? That he would just take what you're unwilling to give?"

"Of course not."

"Then why are you doing all this? Hiding out? Ignoring him? Talk to me, Anna!"

"I don't know!" Anna all but screamed. "I don't know, Tillie! I don't know what love is, Tillie, I never had it before. Ever! And then you and your family show me so much love, I don't know how to react!"

Tillie looked at her with wide eyes while Anna paced back and forth in front of the couch. "I loved my father, and he left. I was only four, and he walked away from me. I loved my mother, and she kept us locked up in a cage of a house and controlled everything. She would rage and beat us when things went wrong, no matter how much i loved her. I loved my sister, the only one who ever actually did anything with me, and she ran away when I was twelve. Once she was gone, my mother's sickness had only me to pour out on. I finally got out and found someone I thought loved me, and he... he..." she collapsed to her knees, hugging her scarred shoulders in trembling hands.

"Anna..."

"All I know of love, is pain and betrayal. And even though I know it's wrong, I can't help but think it's my fault. I'm the common denominator to it all!"

Tillie knelt down and took Anna by the shoulders. "Oh God, Anna, you're right! That's not true!"

"Look at me, Tillie! I am a broken mess of a woman! If I love Kristoff as much as I think I do, how could I inflict myself on him?"

"Stop saying that about yourself! You DO know how to love! I've seen you with Kristoff, and with Temperance Dawn. There is _so_ _much_ love in you, girl! Your heart is so full of love not even your past can kill it!"

Anna closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing. Tillie shook her gently, "You do love Temperance Dawn, don't you?"

"Yes," Anna's eyes opened, her gaze staring off someplace far in the distance. "I love that little ray of pure sunshine. I want to protect her and let her spirit soar."

"Yes, Anna! She needs that from you. She needs family, and a true mother's love."

"Family," Anna wasn't blinking. "I can never be a family. I can never give him a family."

"What do you mean?"

"I was pregnant once," Anna murmured dully, still staring. "And even amidst all the hell I was happy, hopeful. I had a chance to make right everything that was done wrong with me. But he took that away from me too."

"Oh no..."

"He did such a number on me I not only lost the baby, I had to have a hysterectomy."

"Anna," Tillie gathered her into her arms and held her, wept with her. Anna's grief was quiet, worn, coming from a soul so beaten down it barely had any fight left in it.

"I love Kristoff. I love him _so_ _much_ ," Anna whispered. "And yet all I do is hurt him."

"You're hurting yourself, Anna. Yes you're hurting Kristoff and Temperance Dawn too, but you have to understand that you are hurting yourself right now. You may not realize that, but you are choosing to do the actions that are causing you this pain. Your past is clouding your mind and deceiving your heart. You need to believe that you're worthy of the good things that are happening to you. Because you are!"

"No, I'm not."

Tillie muttered in Punjabi, grasping her friend more firmly by the shoulders, ready to shake her until she got it. "I love you Anna. Bulda loves you. Kristoff loves you. Temperance Dawn loves you. We all would do anything for you. And we have. We have opened our home and hearts to you. You have to be the one to accept. You. I can't open your heart to us. Only you can do that."

* * *

Temperance Dawn was confused. She didn't understand where Miss Anna was. Daddy told her that Miss Anna was staying at her own house for a little while. That she needed some time to be by herself. Temperance Dawn didn't understand. Why would she stay away? Did she do something to make Miss Anna stay away?

She was tired of not seeing Miss Anna. She had stacks of pictures for her and no one would take her to see her. Daddy was too sad, and Aunt Tillie was too mad at Daddy. Grandma and Grandpa were worried. Auntie Grace wasn't home and the rest of the family were off with their own friends.

Well, Grandma said you hafta work to make wishes come true. If nobody was gonna help her, well then she'd do it herself! She hopped off her bed, packed her little butterfly backpack with all the drawing and coloring pages she made for Miss Anna, took a water bottle and a peach out of the fridge, and started out of the house towards Miss Anna's.

Temperance Dawn wasn't exactly sure where she was going, but she had ridden along with Daddy and Miss Anna enough times that she had an idea of the direction she should be going. She knew she was breaking the rules. She wasn't supposed to leave the yard unless someone was with her. But Miss Anna needed her. She knew it. She stared at the gate, mustered up her courage, and opened it.

She skipped and twirled down the street, past the big house where her family had all their parties. Past the library and down the dirt road towards Miss Anna's house.

* * *

She had only been gone about thirty minutes when Kristoff came looking for her. She wasn't in her room. She wasn't in the other kids rooms either. She wasn't coloring at her table or watching TV. Temperance Dawn wasn't in the house at all. Puzzled, he wandered out to the backyard and scanned the play structure and over to the dock. Sometimes Temperance Dawn liked to sit on the dock at watch the big boats out on the water. But she wasn't there either. He walked through Bulda's garden thinking she might be chasing her fairies and digging for their little charms again. Nothing.

"Temperance? Tempe? Where are ya, kid?" Kristoff called out. "Tempe! Temperance Dawn, answer me right now!"

He ran back into the house, shouting for her. Bulda came out of her office, wondering what all the commotion was about. "The hell you yelling in the house for, Kristoff Alastair?"

"I can't find Temperance Dawn," Kristoff said, picking up his phone. "Last time I saw her she was in her room. She knows better than to leave without telling me." A wave of terror washed over him. "No. Not again..."

"Don't go there my son," Bulda said sternly. "Do not go there! You know that child, she's probably just climbing the willow in Mrs. Polson's yard."

"Mama, if she..."

"Boy, what did I just say?" Bulda opened her phone and made a call. "Louisa? Bulda. If you see little Temperance Dawn wandering about, you'll bring her home? No we don't think...Thank you." Bulda tapped another name on her phone. "Penny Anne? Yeah, hey Temperance Dawn may be wandering about. If you see her will you bring her home? Thanks." She hung up again. "Kristoff Alastair, get to looking. She can't have gone far."

* * *

Temperance Dawn rounded the corner and saw the familiar white fence surrounding Miss Anna's house. She was hot and tired but she was determined to get to her mommy. She opened the gate and came up to the door. She knocked softly and waited.

"Kristoff, slow down," Anna said reaching for her purse and keys. "What do you mean she's not at the house?"

"She's not here, Anna! She's gone. Oh god Anna, what if she's-"

"No! That can't happen!"

"I'll come get you."

"No, you keep looking. I'll ride over and help you. Stay there, I'm on my way. Hold on, someone's at my door." She held her phone at her side and opened the door. "Temperance Dawn?!" Anna exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" Kristoff yelled into the phone.

"I brought you new pictures, Miss Anna!"

"Kristoff, she's here. Yeah, she's fine, I think. Look, take your time getting here. I'll find out what's going on. I will call you in thirty minutes." She hung up the phone and pulled Temperance Dawn into her house.

Kristoff stared at his phone in total bewilderment. "Temperance Dawn is with Anna," Kristoff said. "Anna said she'd call me in thirty minutes? I'm going over there now."

"Don't you dare, Kristoff Alastair!" Bulda scolded. "You listen to your Anna Marcie. That girl knows what she's doing."

"But Ma-"

"No buts! Your baby is safe. That's the important thing. Now don't you go off and trigger a relapse in her because she scared you half to death."

"Ma, Temperance knows she can't leave the house without someone going with her!"

"Boy, I know, and you can let her know what she did was wrong without sending her into another catatonic episode. I bet Anna's doing that right now." She walked around the table and took his face in her plump hands. "Trust her. And if you can't, trust me. Let Anna Marcie work her magic on her. I know she can do it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to call off the cavalry. Take a walk. Cool off, then and ONLY then when Anna Marcie calls you back you go over there."

And like that he was along at the table with his shaking hands and his silent phone. How in the hell was he supposed to wait a half hour to see his daughter?

 _Trust her._

He wanted to, but Temperance Dawn was HIS responsibility. She was safe, but he needed to see her. Needed to hold her and see her home. He took a shuddering breath and rubbed at his face. Yeah, he needed to calm down, but he doubted he could.

* * *

"Temperance Dawn, sweetheart how did you get here?" Anna asked, taking off her backpack.

"I walked."

"Papillon, did you tell Kristoff or Bulda that you were coming here?" Anna asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because Daddy's sad and Grandma's worried. Nobody would bring me here, so I came by myself."

"Temperance Dawn, you know you're not supposed to leave the house without someone coming with you."

"But Mommy..."

"Don't you even try the 'but Mommy' bit with me, little miss," Anna said, her voice stern but loving. The little girl looked down contritely. "Papillon, you scared your daddy to his very soul. He thought Scary Lady took you from him again."

Temperance Dawn sniffled a little at that. "I didn't mean to hurt Daddy's soul, Miss Anna."

"I know, sweetheart. Of course you didn't. But sometimes when we make bad choices, those choices hurt the ones we love."

"I'm sorry."

"You need to apologize to your Daddy. Can you do that?"

"Yes Miss Anna."

"And can you promise me that you'll never to something like this again."

"I promise." Temperance Dawn took a breath and looked up at Anna. "Are you mad at me?"

"What? No. Baby, I'm not mad at you. Why would you think that?" Anna sat with Temperance Dawn on the couch, the little girl crawling into her lap, resting her head on Anna's shoulder.

"Because you haven't come to see me in a long time. You used to always be there when I got up for school. You would pick me up from school and make me lunch and we would color and dance and sing. You haven't been there to tuck me in and I need my song cause Daddy doesn't sing it right. Don't you love me anymore?"

"Temperance, I love you. But my heart and soul have been hurt that I have to heal it before I can be right for you."

"You're already perfect for me, Miss Anna."

Anna cuddled her close. "Thank you for that, Temperance Dawn."

Anna got Temperance Dawn settled on the couch with a cup of icewater and a slice of watermelon and let her show off her pictures. And true to her word, she called Kristoff thirty minutes later.

He must've been waiting in the driveway, because less than a minute later there was a knock at the door. She went to answer it, and her heart clenched when she saw him standing on her porch. He was calm, but he had so much fear in his eyes. "Is she ok?" he implored.

"Yes," Anna murmured.

"Oh thank god," Kristoff blew out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"We talked about what she did and why it was wrong. She understands, and wants to apologize." Anna shifted on her feet and crossed her arms over her chest. "I want to apologize too. This is partially my fault."

"What?" Kristoff looked at her, confused.

"I'll tell you later. Come in, but," she held her hand up and he stopped his forward motion. "Don't startle her. She knows she broke the rules and feels bad enough. But the last thing she needs is her parent to overreact." She clutched herself a bit tighter. "Trust me, I know."

"Me too," Kristoff said softly. He reached out to cup her cheek and was startled when she pulled away. "Thank you," he said. She nodded, then stepped aside to let him in. Temperance Dawn looked up as he walked in. She slid off the couch and walked around to stand in front of her father, head down but back straight. "Temperance Dawn?"

"I'm sorry I broke the rules, Daddy. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry."

Kristoff knelt down and held his arm out. Temperance Dawn wrapped her little arms as far around his neck as they would go. Anna gazed at them wistfully as he hugged his little girl close for a solid minute before he spoke. "Thank you, Tempe. I'm glad you're safe."

"Miss Anna took care of me," Temperance Dawn mumbled into her father's neck as he stood up. "We talked about different things I can do instead of breaking the rules when I need something."

"I'd like to hear them once we get home," he said, walking back around the couch. "We have a lot to talk about."

She leaned back and looked at her father with a quivering lip, but nodded bravely. He smiled at her. She turned and looked at Anna, and reached out for her. Anna looked questioningly at Kristoff, who smiled gently and held his arm out too. Anna hesitated, but then stepped into their embrace. It felt right.

"Come home with us, Miss Anna," Temperance Dawn asked.

"Um, I don't know," Anna stiffened in Kristoff's arm, so he let her go.

"Pleeeeeease," she begged.

Anna looked uncertainly up at Kristoff. Seeing him reminded her of how much she missed him, and of how much pain she caused him even by not being there. He looked back, trying to keep the hurt and longing out of his eyes. He shrugged ever so slightly and tilted his head towards the door. "Please," he asked silently.

"Alright."

* * *

Anna stayed for dinner at Temperance Dawn's request. Tillie kept giving Anna this look that she didn't know how to interpret, this strange piercing glare and a nod of the head towards her brother. Anna sat next to Kristoff at the table, but there was a ravine between them. If he moved, she'd flinch or pull away a bit, enough that he and Tillie noticed. Tillie sat across from her brother muttering to herself in Punjabi, low enough that Kristoff could hear her but not enough that Anna could understand fully what was going on.

"If you have something to say to me, Matilda Louise, why don't you just say it," Kristoff snapped.

"The things I want to say you, Kristoff Alastair, can't be said with tiny ears present," Tillie retorted.

"If y'all can't be civil to each other, you can leave my table," Bulda said, glaring daggers at her two oldest children.

"Sorry Mama," Tillie said, stabbing a cherry tomato with her fork. She muttered again, glaring at her brother. "He's being an idiot, Mama."

"She won't leave well enough alone!"

"Because it's NOT well enough, you idiot!"

"WHAT did I just say to you two?!"

"Keep it up, Tillie," Kristoff growled. "I am in no mood for you tonight. Why don't you mind your own affairs?"

"All right, I will," she looked over at Anna, who sat quieter than a cornered mouse. "But I told you so."

"Matilda Louise, Kristoff Alastair," Bulda said again.

Kristoff threw his napkin down. "I'm gonna go check on Tempe," he grumbled, pushing back from the table and stalking out of the room.

Anna felt about three inches tall. She was the reason they were fighting. It was all her fault, as usual. She stood up and went after Kristoff. She needed to apologize, to try and make things right between her true love and her best friend. She found him on the back porch, his shoulders hunched over, breathing heavily. His large, gentle hands gripping the railing tight.

"Kristoff?"

"Not now, Anna."

"Kristoff-"

"Oh you're going to talk to me now?" His voice harsh and so unlike him. Anna flinched at his words, and he immediately regretted them.

"I wanted to apologize..."

"No."

"But-" Anna started to say.

"That wasn't your fault."

She looked down. "She walked by herself across town, by herself, because I can't get my head on straight. I'll do whatever I can for Temperance Dawn so she won't do it again."

He looked at her, noting her slumped and submissive posture. "Anna, are you afraid of me?"

"No."

"Anna..."

She looked up at him and tried to, what Tillie said, really see him. He looked angry, scared, and hurt, and she knew it was her fault. "No, I am not afraid of you Kristoff," she said softly, honestly. "I am never afraid of you."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"I... I don't know. And I don't know why I don't know."

He swallowed down his frustration and tried to focus on the moment. She was here, and she was talking. She was right there, and God... "I miss you," he said, voice achingly soft. Anna rubbed her arms. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Me too," she whispered.

"Anna..."

"I thought I could come over and help with Temperance Dawn, when I'm not working. If that's OK with you," she said quickly.

"I'm sure she'd like that," he said softly. She nodded. He moved closer to her, and she seemed to shrink more into herself. "Anna, please. Let me in."

"Kristoff, when I look at Temperance Dawn, I wonder what my life would have been like had my father been like you. Maybe I wouldn't be so terrified to be with you, if I'd had -"

"Anna, sweetheart, please..."

"I should go."

"You don't have to. Please stay."

"I can't."

"You can." He stepped toward her, leaning down to kiss her. With tears in her eyes she turned her head away and strode quickly down the stairs, disappearing into the evening fog.

* * *

Kristoff sat alone at the kitchen table, a coffee mug in front of him, worry and concern evident on his face. His phone sat carelessly tossed off to the side, having just ended a call with Mark, his lawyer. Apparently Miranda Lynn had put in a petition to the court to have her house arrest lifted and be granted unsupervised visitation.

"Over my fucking dead body!" Kristoff yelled into the phone.

"Kris, calm down," Mark said. "There is no way in hell any judge in South Carolina is going to give her what she wants. She was convicted of interstate kidnapping and aggravated child abuse. The only reason she's serving house arrest is the women's prison's overcrowded. And the last stunt she pulled by coming to Tempe's school is another mark against her. I've upped her restraining order and every cop in town knows that if she even leaves her house. Miranda Lynn Collingsworth isn't stupid enough to try anything again and even if she is, she won't win."

"What's on your mind, my son?" Bulda asked, joining him at the table. She had just put the younger ones to bed. Anna was there, reading with Temperance Dawn. Since her impromptu walk across town, Anna was more devoted to Temperance Dawn than before. Anna was there to take her to school, make her lunch and now even taking over bath time and bedtime duties. While Kristoff liked...loved, he loved having Anna there again, she still wouldn't look at him or say more than a few words in passing. He was on eggshells, dreading the day she would get spooked yet again and disappear for days at a time. Or leave completely.

"Anna," Kristoff said. "I think I'm doing more harm than good for her."

"Why would you think that?" Bulda asked.

"Every single time I get close to her, every time we make progress in our relationship, I say or do something without realizing it and it sends her back to that scared girl she was five months ago."

"She's been wounded clear to her very soul, son," Bulda said, taking Kristoff's hand in hers. "I can't even imagine what she's gone through before coming to us."

"But for every step forward we take Ma, it's eighteen steps back. That can't be good for her, and it's so frustrating to be starting over every other day. Mama, it's killing me."

"Healing takes time. I remember a young man who came to me so angry that we used to give you giant piles of wood to chop so you would take your anger out on something other than my walls." Bulda took his hand. "You're slowing drawing out the poison that's flooded her soul. That takes time and patience."

"Ma, I don't think she wants to be healed."

"Yes she does. I see the way she looks at you. You are the bright center of her dark and dismal world," Bulda said, squeezing his hand with hers. "That beautiful girl could barely endure a hug when she first came here. Now, she's playing and laughing and loving her life. And you, my son, are the biggest part of that. You helped her find that joy."

"I don't get it, Mama" he grumbled, spinning his coffee mug in his hands. "One day she's all over me, hugging me, holding my hand, kissing me, and then the next, she can't bear to catch my eye. I can't go day to day not being able to touch her. Mama, I love her. I love her so much, and it kills me every day I have to start over."

"Are you giving up on her?"

"Hell no, Ma. Never. But what if I am doing her more harm than good?"

"Healing is a painful process, Kristoff Alastair," Bulda said, her hand wiping away the tears falling from his eyes with her thumbs. "Anna's got a lot to heal from."

"More than you know Ma," Kristoff said with a sigh. "I just hate seeing her in so much pain and know that I'm the one aggravating it."

"My son, you are not causing this pain or aggravating it, any more than Matilda Louise is responsible for Miranda Lynn. That monster she was with, he's to blame for all this. You are removing that poison from her. You're helping her find her feet again, and her heart."

"My biggest fear, Mama, is that I'm going to accidentally push too hard or say the wrong thing and she's going to run and I'm never going to see her again."

"You won't. You both are made of stronger stuff."

"I can't lose her Mama. I can't. I can't let Tempe lose her either. Temp's gotten so attached. If something goes wrong, I can't let Temperance lose the closest thing to a real mom she's ever going to have."

"You're a good man, son. And she's a good woman. And the two of you are good for each other, and for Temperance Dawn. So you have to ask yourself, is she worth the effort? Is she worth fighting for?"

A stifled sob ghosted in from behind them. Kristoff turned around and there's Anna, her hands over her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She shook her head at Kristoff and ran out the back door.

"Fuck," he muttered, jumping up. "Anna! Anna, wait!"

She stood in the yard, her arms wrapped around her body, trying to control her breathing. Her back was to him.

"Anna, please, you weren't supposed to hear any of that," Kristoff said, his voice raw. "Sweetheart, please. Look at me."

"You think I'm broken?"

"No, Anna. No. You've been hurt, but you're not broken."

"But I'm not worth fighting for?"

"Of course you are! Anna, I love you! I love you. What more do I have to do to prove that to you?"

"I don't know!"

"You don't know? You never know. That should be an easy question. Anna, every single time I put myself out there for you, you do nothing and you say nothing. Every time I open my damn fool mouth, you freak out. What am I supposed to do? You don't talk to me, you don't tell me what you're feeling. I can't read your mind!"

"I don't expect you to."

"Yes you do. And it's killing me! You're breaking my heart! I-I can't do this anymore, Anna. I can't let you into my world without some indication of what you're feeling. I can't let Temperance fall in love with you if you have one foot out the door. I can't let you break her heart too!"

"If I'm causing you so much pain and anguish, maybe I should just leave."

"Maybe you should."

She flinched back as if he struck her. Her eyes screwed shut when he wouldn't meet her gaze. She gave two jerky nods of her head, then turned and ran out of the yard.

He looked up, and she was gone. He fisted his hands in his hair and looked up to the uncaring night sky and he screamed. He fell to his knees, beating the ground. _What have I done?!_ He dug his phone out of his pocket and frantically dialed. _Sweet Jesus, what have I done?_

* * *

Anna half walked, half stumbled down the road. She was grateful to not be on her bike; she was sure she'd have crashed several times by now. It happened. It finally happened. She lost him. He didn't want her anymore. Her stupid self finally drove him away.

She could hear her phone ringing in her bag and she checked the first time, Kristoff's smiling face staring back at her. She choked back a sob as she shoved it back into her bag. Less than a minute later it rang again. She barely heard it, her thoughts all over the place. She had to get out. She ran through her financial situation. She had enough to get her far away by morning. She didn't have much, but it was enough to get her on the next bus west, to find some little town nobody's ever heard of and bury herself there. Starting over again was going to suck but if Kristoff wanted her gone she'd get gone.

Once she was in her little cottage she took out the single duffel bag she brought with her. She opened it up and stared down at it, the zippered opening yawning up at her like the mouth of some vicious animal. She jerked back from it, fell over and balled up on the floor. Ugly, soul-wrenching sobs tore through her. He didn't love her anymore. She destroyed the only light in her miserable existence. She did this to him. To herself. She deserved this pain. She deserved nothing but pain.

Her phone rang once again, and then was silent. She slowly stood. She picked it up and saw the eight messages waiting for her, mocking her. Determined to pack and run, she set her phone aside. She stared at the duffel, torn. Should she listen to them? What if they're more yelling. What if they're not? Deciding to be brave and take whatever lumps he had for her, she opened her voice mail and began to listen.

"Anna, sweetheart, I'm sorry! I'm an idiot! God, I'm so sorry! I love you. Please answer your phone. Please, I'm sorry!" His voice was raw and hurting. She sank back to the floor and kept listening, her own heart breaking.

"Anna, I didn't mean it! I love you! I'd never give up on you. I need you. God, Anna, I need you!"

"Anna, please don't leave. Please don't go. I'm sorry I'm such an ass. Please, Anna..."

"I love you so much, Anna. You're my northern star. I'm lost without you. I'm sorry, God I am so so sorry Anna. Please, I love you."

With each message his desperation to get through to her was indescribable. He was fighting for her. She hurt him, and still he fought for her.

"I don't want you to go. I don't want you to go. Please, Anna, I don't want you to go."

"Anna, I'm sorry. I understand if you... if you... look, just call me please? Or call Tillie, call Ma. Let me know you made it home safe. Anna... I'm so sorry...

"...I love you."

"Sweetheart, please pick up. Anna, I never know the right thing to say to you. I second guess everything I do or say because the last thing I want to do is hurt you. This, this is me fighting. Fighting for you. Fighting for us. I messed up, said things in anger I never meant to say. And before you argue with me that I never say anything I don't mean, I mean this. I love you. I love you more. More every day. More than I thought possible. I'm sorry. Anna, I'll be waiting. Come home. Come home to me. I need you. I love you. Come home. Come home."

She held the phone to her chest and cried. Cried and listened to his messages, listen to him fighting for her, over and over. He loves her. He _loves_ her. And she loves him. That has to mean something, right?

Right?

There was a knock on her door. She scrambled to her feet, hopeful that he was on the other side. Wiping her eyes, feeling utterly foolish and broken down, she smoothed down her sundress and went to the door. She opened it, her eyes wide with shock. It wasn't Kristoff. It wasn't Tillie or Bulda either. A tall, slender man with ginger red hair and a cruel smile stood on her porch.

"Hello Anna," Hans said with a chuckle. "So here you are."


	15. Slaying the Demon

**A/N: A big, huge, titanic thank you to frenzy for all her help with this chapter. A good majority of the Hans/Anna interactions in this chapter were written by her. As always please, please leave a review!**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 15: Slaying the Demon

Kristoff sat on the floor of his trailer, back against his bed, holding tight to his phone, willing it to ring, wishing she would answer his calls. Christ, what had he done? He was no better than the asshole that tortured her. He let his pain run away with his mouth, and it may have broken them both. He made Anna think he didn't love her anymore. That he wanted her to leave. That was the furthest thing possible from the truth.

He loved her, wanted her, needed her. He needed her more than he ever needed anyone in his life. She was his northern star and he would go to the ends of the earth to find her. He couldn't let Temperance Dawn lose the only mother she was ever going to have. He had to get her back. And if that meant he had to start back at square one and work back to where they were a week and half ago, he would do it. Hell, he'd gladly start over if she would let him. He would do anything for her and he had to let her know.

But he drove her away.

"Please Anna," he whispered to the dark. "Please my love. Come home to me."

"Kristoff!" Tillie's voice yelled from outside his trailer, her small hands banging on the door. "Kristoff!"

"Go away, Tillie," he said, his voice soft, broken, defeated.

Tillie had only heard that voice once before and it was when he had all but given up. Five months into Temperance Dawn's kidnapping and no sign of her or Miranda Lynn, Kristoff was exhausted, beaten down and grief-stricken. It broke her heart then and it broke worse now. She had done it again. She thought this would work, him and Anna. She thought she could make her brother happy, help her new best friend find happiness. She had no idea it would come to this.

Matilda Louise stood outside her brother's trailer and talked, the thing she did best. "I'm so sorry. I should have known that Anna wasn't ready. I pushed her and in turn pushed you into something you both weren't ready to face. I promise that I'll stay out of your relationships for the rest of my life. I swear it."

"It's not your fault, Tillie," Kristoff said, jamming the heel of his hand into his eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling. "I blame myself. I said some colossally stupid and hurtful things to her tonight. If she comes back, I will spend the rest of my life making up for it."

" _When_ ," Tillie countered firmly. " _When_ she comes back. We don't use the word 'if.'"

"Not this time, Tillie." God, he sounded so broken! "This time it's if. I told her to leave. That I couldn't do this anymore. I drove her away. I really am an idiot."

Tillie shook her head. "You can fix this, Kristoff. Get out of this trailer and go over there and make it right."

"But what if I make it worse?"

"How much worse could it get?!" Tillie cried. "Anna's not here and she's hurting. She needs you. Get out of your own head and go get her back before she does something you'll both regret."

"She doesn't want me. Not now. Not anymore."

"That is so not true! Anna loves you!"

"No she doesn't."

"Alright, that's it," Tillie tore open the door to Kristoff's trailer, had enough of talking to a wall. "You're not sitting here feeling sorry for yourself another nanosecond. You will get over there and bring her home even if I have to drag you there myself!"

"She doesn't want to talk to me, Tillie. She won't answer her phone."

"Try harder!" Tillie paused. "Wait, she's not answering her phone?"

"Hasn't been. For nearly an hour."

"That's not Anna. Even if she's sobbing her eyes out over you, she'd at least respond. Something's wrong."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Anna gasped, terrified. "How did you-?"

"Find you? Oh Anna, you honestly thought you could stay hidden from me?" Hans said, stepping into her house and closing the door. "All it took was a short search on the internet and I found you. Thanks to those ridiculous little cakes of yours." He walked right past her and looked around. "Nice little place you've got here. Tiny, drab, barely adequate. It suits you. Must remind you of that miserable shack I plucked you out of."

"What do you want?"

"You, of course. What I've always wanted," Hans said, his hand reaching out to caress her cheek. She pulled back. "Come on, now. I know you've missed me. We had good times."

"Good times, sure," Anna said, unfazed. Her mind went to nights spent with Tillie and Grace Leanna, watching movies she'd never seen, drinking wine, playing cards. Coloring with Temperance Dawn, singing with her, playing with her and her father. The boys playing baseball in her yard because Bulda warned them if they broke another window they'd be grounded for life. Kristoff. Baking with her, watching her play piano, his arms around her as they danced at the country club. Those were good times. Not the horror that was her life with this monster. "Which good times, Hans? The ones when you raped me or the ones when you beat me with your belt because I talked out of turn?"

"Anna, I've changed. I'm not that person anymore," Hans said, his silver tongue forming its lies. "Look, Anna, I know I was a cold-hearted bastard and I did terrible things to you and I regret every one of them. You were a good girl. You didn't deserve that."

"No, I didn't. What you did and what you're still doing to me is unforgivable," Anna said, finding the courage to slay her dragon. On the arm of the couch her phone rang, yet again. This time, she was grateful, it was Tillie's face on the screen. She didn't want to know what he'd do if it had been Kristoff. "I have to take this. It's my boss."

"She can leave a message," Hans said.

"She gets worried if I don't answer," Anna said, reaching for her phone.

"I said she can leave a message," he grabbed her wrist, stopping her from taking her phone. "We're not done discussing this."

"Hans, please. I have to check in."

"I said no," he growled. He pulled her over to the couch and shoved her down into the worn cushion. He adjusted his jacket, maintaining his air of sophistication."Now, I know you're worried about keeping your job. Not surprising, considering how clumsy you are. It's no wonder your boss keeps you on a short leash. You've probably broken half of the things put in your care, just like always." He walked around the couch, trailing his fingers along the top, then along Anna's shoulders. She shivered and jerked away from him, glaring. He grabbed her by the hair and tilted her head back, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Don't interrupt."

He let go and moved on. Anna couldn't help but shudder again. "Honestly, Anna, I'm surprised anyone puts up with you. I was the only one who could tolerate you back home, and even I have my limits." Anna rubbed her arms and looked down, visions of her argument with Kristoff running through her head. Hans kept walking through her small house, clicking his tongue at the "mess" she had. His voice carried from her small bedroom. Anna looked over at the arm of the couch where her phone sat. He'd notice if she moved it. She had to keep her phone close. And hope for the right moment to call for help.

"I mean, look at this place! It's barely habitable! A cup in the sink, dust everywhere, the stench of saltwater and failure. You're hopeless without me, my pet. Wasting your money on frivolous nonsense like this." He walked back in front of her, carrying her cabaret dress. "I honestly don't know how you expect me to take you back."

"Take me back?" Anna gasped. "I'm not going. I'm staying right here."

"Don't be foolish, Anna. Of course you're going back home, with me, where you belong. But we have a problem."

"Problem?"

"Don't interrupt!" he snapped again. "Of course we have a problem, pet. You ran. You always run. We can't let that go unanswered." He placed a hand over his heart and sighed. "What would I do if you abandoned me again? No no, I can't let that happen," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. "I need to make sure you understand."

"Hans, no!"

"Don't. Interrupt!" he pointed the knife at her, shaking with suppressed rage, then he slashed the dress. His face was cold and cruel as he sliced it to ribbons. "See what you made me do? Why do you always have to fuck things up, Anna!"

* * *

"Tillie, stop," Kristoff grumbled as his sister dragged him across the yard to the main house.

"Anna, it's Tillie. Look, I don't care about what happened. Call me back please. We love you and want you to come home. Please call me." She shoved her phone back into her pocket and looked over her shoulder at her brother. "Not a chance. Something's wrong. We need to talk to Mama."

She hauled him up the back porch stairs and through the screen door. "Mama! Mama!"

"Good lord, Matilda Louise. You trying to wake up the entire town?" One look at her eldest child and Bulda's big heart shattered. "Oh my baby, what's wrong?"

"Anna's gone," Kristoff said, plopping down in a kitchen chair. "We fought and she's gone. She's not coming back. Not this time."

"I'm sure that's not the case. That girl loves you. Anna Marcie will be back."

"No she doesn't. How could she?"

Tillie released an exasperated sigh. "Kristoff, she does. _SO_ much. She just doesn't know how to tell you. The last time she told someone she loved them, she got slapped for it."

"I would never do that to her. I love her!"

"She knows that, but Commander Jerkwad McAsshole has done such a number on her soul... she's scared of being rejected," Tillie said, crossing her arms over her chest. She wanted to be kind and calm with her idiot of a brother but at the same time she wanted to whack him over the head with the state of North Dakota to knock some sense into him. "Anna needs you, more than she's ever needed anyone. We can't lose her. Call her."

"I'd never reject her. I need her. Tempe needs her."

"Then go tell her that Kristoff Alastair," Bulda implored, taking her son's hand. "My son, I can't bear to see you hurting. Go to her. Make things right."

"She doesn't want to talk to me, Mama. She's not responding to any calls."

"Maybe this will help," Bulda said, nodding. She picked up a manila envelope that had Kristoff and Anna's name on it. "Joseph Sanderson dropped this off at the office today."

Kristoff opened the envelope and a matted photograph of him and Anna at the cabaret was inside. He remembered. The country club photographer had come around the tables, taking shots of all the couples there. They were standing face to face, her hands on his broad chest, his arms around her waist. She was smiling so brilliantly. He touched her picture fondly. They were so happy there. Before all the tears and trauma occurred. He had to see her like that again. A note inside the envelope read: _The photographer at the club sent this to our house. Clearly it doesn't belong to us. You are both welcome guests of ours anytime you'd like. Looking forward to more of those amazing tiny cakes. Jillian Sanderson_

"I'll try calling her one more time then I'm going over there. If I have to sit outside all night till she lets me in I will. I love her that much."

* * *

"Hans, stop! Please!"

He took two final swipes at the tattered dress, then threw its remains into her face. "Jesus Christ, you stupid bitch! I give you a gentle reminder, and you STILL can't keep your fucking mouth shut! How many times do you have to make me do this, Anna!" He turned to face the kitchen, his eyes catching the pictures covering her tiny icebox. "What the hell are these? I knew you were slow but I had hoped you were more artistic than this shit. Or are these pity pictures from the stupid local brats?"

No! Not Paillion's pictures. Never those. She would cherish them for always. Her innocence and exuberance were the brightest spots in her otherwise dark world. He took one down, tossing the magnet aside and tearing the picture in half. Strangled sobs broke through Anna.

"No Hans! Please stop. Please..."

"You actually care more about this worthless crap than the dress?" Hans laughed, ripping another drawing and crumpling it in his fists. "Christ, you are pathetic! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Tears stung as she hugged her ruined dress to her chest. He ruined it. Destroyed the one nice thing she had ever purchased for herself. He ripped to shreds the pictures her Papillon had lovingly made for her. All he does is break and destroy. "Please, I'm sorry. Please..." Anna's voice shook as she tried to form a plan in her head. She had to make him stop. Maybe if she..."I'll go. I don't know what I was thinking. It's always been you. Please Hans..." She looked up and saw him swinging Justin Carl's baseball bat. "Please..."

"Do you have something you want to fucking say to me, whore?" he snapped, gesturing at her with the bat. "Something else you want to get off your pitiful chest before we leave? You see what happens every time you open your goddamn mouth!"

Anna hesitated. She looked away from his face. Part of her wanted to keep quiet, to go quietly back into the dark. She deserved it, right? But that part was surprisingly small, and nowhere near as loud in her mind as it had been in the past. There was another voice in her mind, crying out against the darkness. She looked beyond Hans, into her kitchen, to the tiny icebox with the remnants of the simple crayon drawings hung on the front. Temperance Dawn's drawings. There was one left untouched, the one her Papillon gave her when she moved in, of herself and Anna and Kristoff having a picnic. Anna closed her eyes, the good memories washing over her. The good feelings of being needed. Being valued. Being loved. Being part of a family. Being worthy of such light and love.

"That's what I thought," Hans said. "Get whatever money you managed to scrabble together and come on. We're going home."

"No," Anna breathed.

" _What_ did you say?" Hans asked, his voice dangerously low, stepping closer to her. He grabbed her chin in his fingers, pinching cruelly.

"I don't know if I belong here anymore, but I sure as hell know that I don't deserve the misery waiting for me if I go with you. I'm not going with you." She pulled out of his grip, his nails leaving scratches on her cheek. She spat in his face.

"Wrong answer, Anna," he chuckled, wiping the spit from his face, hefting the bat. "Wrong answer." He swung the bat, bringing it down on her beloved piano. A plaintive out-of-tune chord played out as the keys went flying into the air, as he took swing after swing to the piano. Anna stifled the screams, covering her mouth with her hands. It was now or never. She dove for her phone and ran for her room, him hot on her heels, catching her foot, sprawling her out on the floor.

* * *

Temperance Dawn toddled into the kitchen, her eyes red and tear-stained. She drug her Stitch stuffy behind her as she reached for her daddy.

"Tempe? Baby, what's wrong?" Kristoff said, gathering her into his arms. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Mommy was crying. A scary man was with her," Temperance Dawn whimpered, rubbing her eyes. "Mommy was so scared."

"It's just a dream, sweetheart," Tillie said, rubbing Temperance Dawn's back. "I'm sure Miss Anna's fine."

"Why is everyone up?" Pabbie asked, seeing his two oldest children, his grand-baby and wife all sitting around the table.

"Anna and Kristoff Alastair had a little tiff," Bulda said. "We're bucking him up to go talk to her."

"Kristoff, just try calling her again," Pabbie said, picking up Temperance Dawn and heading towards the family room. "Maybe she's calmed down enough for you both to talk."

"Yeah, ok Pop."

Just as Kristoff was ready to call Anna again, her face flashed across the screen. He nearly dropped his phone answering it. "Anna? Sweetheart?" At first he couldn't hear anything except silence. Then he heard it. A male laugh, not coming from the TV. Then her voice, scared and hurt.

"No Hans, please! Kristoff, help me! Please help me!"

Chairs toppled and doors slammed as Kristoff bolted into the yard, Tillie hot on his heels. "I'll call the sheriff!" Bulda yelled after them. Kristoff kept the phone to his ear, shouting desperately into it, "Anna, sweetheart, if you can hear me, I'm coming for you. I'm coming. Hold on." _If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself._

Kristoff's longer legs got him to his truck much faster than Tillie. He nearly ripped the door off its hinges and jammed the key into the ignition. "C'mon c'mon c'mon COME ON!" he seethed, trying to get the old engine to turn over. He pushed on the key harder, and it broke off in the ignition. "Fucking piece of shit! Goddamnit!" he cursed, then jumped out.

"I'll get my car," Tillie hollered, but Kristoff was already out of the yard and down the street in a dead run. He was over a half-mile away by the time Tillie caught up. He hopped in and she slammed on the gas, not bothering to wait for him to close the door.

Tillie pushed her little Camry to the limit. She swore in both English and Punjabi, detailing what she would do to that monster once she sunk her claws into him. Kristoff sat in the passenger seat, hands gripping his shorts, breathing slowly, fear eating a hole in his gut. His entire being was focused on Anna. He had to get to her. Had to help her, protect her, keep her safe. _Kristoff, help me!_ He shook his head. God, if anything happened to her… "I'll never forgive myself," he mumbled.

"Don't you DARE go blaming yourself for this, Kristoff Alastair!" Tillie snapped. "This is all on that asshole, you hear me!?"

 _Kristoff, help! Hans stop!_

"Go faster, Tillie, please!" he all but begged. _I'm coming, Anna! Just hold on! Please, sweetheart, hold on!_ Tillie was already doing over seventy, but she stepped down harder on the gas.

Anna's cottage appeared in the distance. It looked deceptively normal with all the lights on, except for the strange black BMW SUV with West Virginia plates in the driveway. Tillie slammed on the breaks, squealing the tires and spinning her car so the passenger side was closest to the house. Kristoff jumped out before the car stopped moving and ran for the front porch. He actually slowed down at the door out of habit, but then he heard Anna's muffled cries and he threw himself at the door. It didn't budge, so he reared back and planted his boot right near the doorknob. The wood splintered and the door few in, slamming hard on its hinges.

Kristoff saw a pile of shredded fabric and paper on the couch, and the splintered ruin of the piano. "Anna!" he yelled, frantic to find her. He heard her muffled screams coming from her bedroom. He rushed in and saw a sight that would haunt his nightmares: Anna, bruised and bloody, laid out on her own bed, her wrists tied to the headboard above her, and a stranger on top of her, straddling her hips, one hand over her mouth and the other pressing a knife against her throat. "Get the hell off of her!" he yelled.

The man whipped around, revealing Anna's torn sundress and bloodied face. He barked out a hideous laugh, "This? This backwater redneck is who you've been fucking behind my back? Stupid whore."

"Get the fuck off her, now," Kristoff growled, taking a step into the room.

"Or what?" the man spat. "You come any closer and I'll slit her useless throat!"

"No, don't!"

"Oh, so you actually LIKE this little cunt whore! Did she beg and scream for you, too? No matter, I'm taking back what's mine."

"Stop this!" Kristoff stood his large frame shaking with fear for Anna, rage against the asshole holding the blade to her throat.

"What do you think, darling? Maybe he'd like to watch," Hans leered down at her as he pawed at her center and ripped off her panties.

She whimpered, one eye swollen shut and the other shining with tears. "Kristoff...help me..." her soft voice called to him.

Hans pulled his knife hand away from her throat and slapped the hilt across her mouth. "I told you to SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU MISERABLE FUCKING CU-" Before he could finish his threat, Kristoff grabbed two handfuls of the man's shirt and hauled him off Anna, throwing him across the room with enough force to leave a crater in the drywall. Anna cried out as the knife nicked her collarbone.

Kristoff whipped around, placing himself between Anna and her ex, and saw the auburn-haired man stand, a predatory gleam in his green eyes as he pulled his pants back up. "Well I was going to take her back with me, but I think I'll let her watch me kill you, finish what I started and leave her to rot with your lifeless body."

"You will never touch her again," Kristoff roared.

"This says otherwise," Hans brandished the knife, then slashed it at Kristoff's chest. He jumped back, dodging the attack. Another swipe, and Kristoff jumped back again, and ran into the bed. Hans grinned and slashed again, and bloody droplets arched through the air from a gouge ripped into Kristoff's forearm.

Kristoff spent a good majority of his teenage years in and out of group homes. He was used to getting jumped, and how to fight back. Hans, while a "boxer," had never fought someone bigger and willing to hit him back. The two men squared off, Kristoff keeping himself between him and Anna. Hans lunged first and Kristoff ducked, bringing his hard fist into the side of Hans' smug face.

Hans stumbled, spitting blood. Kristoff didn't give him a chance to recover. He balled his fist and punched the bastard right in the eye. Hans flew back into the wall again. But he kept his feet and, more importantly, the knife. He grinned through his bloody spittle and held the knife low, ready to strike. He pushed off the wall just as an authoritarian voice shouted "FREEZE!"

"Officer! Oh thank god you're here! This man attacked my fiancee!" Hans said, all silver-tongued charm, holding his hands up and walking towards the bed.

"Are you shitting me?!" Kristoff couldn't believe his ears.

"I said freeze, both of you!" Sheriff Jennifer Skipper, lovingly called Officer Jenny by all the Pokemon playing little kids in town, raised her taser at both Hans and Kristoff. "It's all right, Kristoff, I've got him. Go see to your friend, just don't disturb my crime scene."

"But that thug-" Hans protested.

"Get on the ground and put your hands behind your head! Hans Westergaard, you're under arrest for aggravated assault, wrongful imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, attempted rape, and who knows what else."

Kristoff rushed over to Anna, who was sobbing quietly. "It's OK, Anna. It's over." he untied her wrists and helped her sit up. She clung to him, burying her face in his chest. He shrugged out of his shirt and draped it over her, since her sundress was an indecent tattered ruin. His hands carefully brushed her hair out of her face, then he gathered her into his arms. "I've got you. I've got you," he whispered into her hair. "He can't hurt you anymore. I've got you."

The deputy cuffed Hans and hauled him to his feet. Anna shifted in Kristoff's arms, so he loosened his grip and she stood up. Adjusting Kristoff's shirt to keep herself covered, she walked unsteady but with confidence over to her abuser and looked him straight in the eye. He tried to loom, to intimidate her despite being bloodied and handcuffed. Anna did not flinch. She reared back and slapped him hard across the face. "You will never hurt me again," she declared. Officer Jenny smiled at her, then hauled her suspect away.

Kristoff walked up and stood beside her as she watched him get hauled out of her cottage. She stood tall, her face unreadable. "You're going to run out of shirts," she said.

He blinked, then chuckled at the unexpected humor. God, she was so strong. "You're worth it," he grinned back.

"You came for me," she said softly, voice full of wonder. "Even after everything I..."

He took her hand and clasped it tenderly in his own. "Always. I will always come for you, Anna. I love you."

Once Hans was out of sight her confidence and strength gave you. She wobbled on unsteady legs, and would've collapsed if Kristoff hadn't caught her. She buried her face in his chest again and let the tears come. He carried her to the couch and sat with her in his lap. He held her close as she trembled and cried. He rubbed her back and murmured soft words of love and devotion.

"Don't let me go," Anna murmured into his chest.

"Never," Kristoff vowed, and held her even tighter. "I will never let you go ever again, no matter what."

Between her quiet sobs Kristoff heard those three perfect words flow from her mouth, "I love you."

"I know, sweetheart," he rocked her, comforted her, crime scene be damned. Kristoff let out a heavy sigh, his big arms around her, holding her tight. It was as if a weight, a burden he didn't know was on his shoulders, suddenly lifted away. His heart swelled and he held her to him. "I love you, Anna. More than anything."

Soon the ambulance arrived. Anna wouldn't let go, so Kristoff wouldn't let the paramedics put her on the stretcher. She clung to him, still softly crying. He carried her to the ambulance, passing Tillie who was also being arrested for trying to bust through a barricade and elbowing one of Jenny's deputies in the face in the process. She only calmed down when she saw her brother carrying her best friend.

Kristoff sat back on the gurney with her on his lap. She'd stopped crying, but her breathing was still ragged and shallow. She felt cold had a blank expression, eyes widely dilated, staring into space without really seeing anything. "Anna? Anna!"

"She's going to shock," the paramedic said, putting an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. "Lay her down and keep talking to her. Keep her conscious."

Kristoff slipped off the gurney and gently laid her on it. The paramedic raised her feet and handed Kristoff a blanket. "Anna! Sweetheart, stay with me," Kristoff whispered into her ear, tucking the blanket around her, then holding her good hand in his, kissing her knuckles. "Anna, stay with me."

An IV line was started in her good arm, which Kristoff helped keep straight. "Anna, sweetheart, I love you. Stay with me."

"You'll stay with me," she murmured, dazed, but it wasn't a question.

"Of course. Always."

They got to the ER and, in moments of lucidity, Anna refused to be separated from Kristoff. The doctors and nurses agreed, and took them to a partitioned room of the ER where she would have a little privacy. Sheriff Skipper would be there soon to take her statement and ask her if she was going to press charges against Hans. Of course she was, but she didn't want to have to go through the rape kit and all the other things the nurses said she'd have to do. Outside her room she heard Bulda, and the other voices of the Bjorgman clan, arguing with the head Nurse.

"Now, Bulda, you know the rules. Family only right now," the nurse said.

"Jackie May, I ain't gonna tell you again," Bulda said, crossing her arms over her chest. "We are the only family that girl's got. Don't make me call your mama."

"Bulda..." Nurse Jackie rested her forehead in her hand, dragging it down to her neck, but she knew better than to argue. "Oh all right fine, but just three of you at a time and _no_ _dog_ this time."

Bulda clicked her tongue at Adam Carter, who pulled back the leash on Sven's harness and he, Justin Carl and Stephen Michael turned to walk out to the waiting room. Bulda and Grace Leanna pushed open the door and rushed to Anna.

Behind the partition, Anna reclined on a gurney, Kristoff sitting at her feet. A resident was calmly stitching up his knife wound. Anna looked down, twisting her fingers together. Kristoff slowly reached up and tipped her chin up. "You're feeling guilty," he said. "None of this is your fault."

"You got hurt because of me," Anna replied her voice small.

"Like I said, you're worth it," he smiled softly, and then gave her a lopsided grin. "Besides, I've done far worse to myself just working in the kitchen."

Anna smiled softly back, and Kristoff beamed when he saw her relax.

"Oh baby girl!" Bulda said, rushing up and pulling Anna into her arms. "Grace Leanna, bring me some water and towels. Let's get you cleaned up."

"You can't, Mama," Kristoff said, his large frame shoved into the corner of the small treatment room. "Sheriff Jenny said we have to wait for the CSU tech."

"I don't care," Bulda fussed over Anna, retucking her blankets, adjusting her pillows, holding the water cup to her lips to help her drink. "Mama's got you sweet girl. Mama's got you."

There was a knock on the door and Sheriff Jenny and another woman stood beside her. "Anna, this is Lindsay. She's here to collect the...rape kit."

"No," Anna said. "Please, I can't. Please. Kristoff stopped him in time. I don't need it."

Bulda shushed Grace Leanna out of the room to go help Adam Carter with the others in the waiting room. Once the door was shut, Bulda sat on the edge of her bed and took her hands in hers. "Sweet girl, you have to do this. It will help put him away. He won't be able to do this to anyone else ever again."

"It won't do any good," Anna said, the exhaustion evident on her voice. "He'll still find a way to beat it. He always does." She picked at the tape on her hand, holding the IV in place. "It'll be his word against mine. They never believe the girl in these situations."

"Anna Marcie Bjorgman," Bulda said, tipping Anna's chin up to face her. "You listen to me right now, baby girl. What that monster did to you is the most heinous of all things a man can do to a woman. I will never forget nor will I ever forgive him for what he did to you. Ever. What he did to you tonight, that can't go unanswered. For your own peace of mind, you need to do this. To heal from this, that monster has to be put away. You have the power to do this. You'll never be able to be with this wonderful man of yours if that demon is still haunting you. The choice is yours, baby. Make it a good one."

"I can't do it, Mama," Anna said, unable to cry anymore.

"Yes you can. I will be right here with you."

"So will I, sweetheart," Kristoff said, kissing her temple. "I will be right here. I'm not leaving."

Anna looked at them. Really looked at them. She saw nothing but kindness, empathy, and faith. Surrounded by so much love and support, Anna made her choice. "Ok, I'll do it. To keep him for ever hurting anyone ever again, if nothing else."

"That's my girl!" Bulda beamed proudly.

"Anna Bjorgman?" Anna questioned softly.

"I done told you that you were one of my babies, regardless of what this knucklehead said or did," Bulda explained, ruffling her son's hair.

"I like it," she whispered, only loud enough to be barely audible.

"Me too," Kristoff said, kissing her temple again.

Officer Jenny listened carefully to what both Anna and Kristoff said about the ordeal, asking questions and taking careful notes. It took several hours for Lindsay to collect the evidence. Both were diligent and respectful. Anna began to hope that this would all be worth while.

Bulda had sent the rest of the family home hours ago, leaving only her and Kristoff at the hospital overnight. Anna slept fitfully, not wanting to take the sleeping pills offered to her. She was afraid if she fell asleep, she'd succumb to the nightmares of the ordeal. She laid awake, staring at the ceiling. Bulda was asleep on her left, her plump frame curled up in the chair. On her right, Kristoff was holding her hand, his head resting on the edge of the bed. The love for her, evident on his face as he slept peacefully. Surrounded by that love on both sides gave Anna the peace to find sleep herself.

* * *

"Good morning, my love," Kristoff said as he walked into Anna hospital room the next morning with bags from the bakery. He wasn't about to make her suffer through hospital food. "Feeling better?

"A little," Anna grimaced, fidgeting with the ties of her hospital gown. Fortunately Grace Leanna had brought her some clothes so she wouldn't have to go home in nothing but Kristoff's shirt, though she did keep it close to her overnight. His calming scent keeping the monster at bay. She had a pink cast on her left wrist, broken thanks to the bindings and her struggle to get free from Hans. The left side of her face was a patchwork of bruises and cuts, and she was finally able to open her eye without pain. She'd heal but it would take time.

"So apparently Mama and Pabbie made Tillie spend the night in jail," Kristoff grinned, setting the bakery bag in her lap.

"Wait, what?" Anna said, cocking her head to the side. "What'd I miss?"

"Apparently Kevin Johansson, Jenny's deputy, was on the wrong side of Tillie's elbow as she tried to get through the barricade last night," Kristoff said. "Mama was pissed, of course, but they didn't charge her bail, let her out this morning on the promise she'd appear at her hearing on Monday." Kristoff saw the crestfallen look on her face. "Hey, no guilty face. None of this is your fault. None at all. Besides, this isn't the first time Tillie's had to cool off in a holding cell for her own good. Though it's usually for someone else's own good she can't get out too..."

"That's our Tillie," Anna grinned, and then looked in the bag curiously. "I'm starving," she said, reaching inside to grab a blueberry bagel and fresh blueberry cream cheese. "Yum."

She held it for a moment and looked over at him. "Kristoff?"

"Yes Anna?"

"I-," she looked down, biting her lip in worry.

"It's ok, sweetheart. You can tell me anything." He reached out and took her hand. "I'm here for you."

She took a deep breath. "I'm going to need some time to recover from all this," she said.

"I know, but you don't have to do it alone," Kristoff said, sitting on the edge of her bed, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Sweetheart, don't retreat into your own head. Let me help you. I want to help you."

"I know, and I will. But Kristoff, this is something that I have to start myself. I love you and I'm not running. Not anymore."

He leaned in a bit closer, "Say it again," he murmured.

She searched his face, and then smiled. "I love you."

He smiled too, and brushed his lips softly over hers. "I love you, so much."

"I know. I just need space to start healing, to close some doors on my past so I can move on."

He rested his forehead gently against hers. "I understand."

"Plus I don't want Temperance Dawn to see me like this. I don't want to scare her."

"I'll talk to her," Kristoff said. "What else do you need from me?"

"Be there when I'm ready?"

"Always." He kissed her softly, gently, careful around her brusies and cuts. "I'll be there when you're ready, Anna. I love you."

* * *

Mama Bulda led the charge to help Anna clean up from her attack. But Anna put her foot down, insisted this was something she had to do on her own. At first Bulda started to protest, but she took a good look at the young woman who stood before her, straight-backed and determined. She gathered Anna into her arms and hugged her to within an inch of her life. "I'm so proud of you, baby girl."

It broke Anna's heart to watch Kristoff and Adam Carter roll her beautiful piano out of the cottage and into the back of Pabbie's truck. But she was adamant she would reclaim her home. Before Kristoff and Pabbie left they, again, replaced the lock and doorknob. "Are you sure you want to be alone tonight, sweetheart?" Kristoff asked, covering the ruined piano with a tarp. "I'm sure Tillie and Grace Leanna would be more than happy to stay with you tonight."

"I know they would, but I have to be alone right now," Anna said. "I'll be okay. And besides, I half expect you to be asleep in your truck in the driveway for the next few nights anyway."

"Oh Anna," he sighed, jumping down from the bed of the truck and walking back to her. "I told you I'd give you your space. I won't violate that trust. As much as I want to protect you and keep you safe, your healing time is more important. It has to be."

"Thank you," Anna smiled, radiant at the love and trust he had in her. "But you did consider it, didn't you?" she teased him.

"Well, um, maybe, but Ma and Tillie persuaded me not to."

"They smacked you upside the head, didn't they?"

"Twice."

Anna laughed, and the sound was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud bank.

"Kris..."

"Yeah Anna?"

"I love you."

"I love hearing you say that," he gently kissed her, then wrapped her in his arms and held her close for several moments. "If you don't want to be alone, call me. I will come get you. You can stay with me or Tillie or Grace Leanna."

"I know. I'll be okay."

"I know you will," he kissed her one more time.

Anna watched her family drive away, then she got to work. She swept up the splintered remains of the piano from the floor, cleaned up the bits and pieces of door frame, and picked up the pieces of Temperance Dawn's pictures and drawings, determined to tape them back together. She was sore, hot and worn out by the time she had stripped her bed, threw out all the sheets and scrubbed every inch of her house from top to bottom. It would never be her perfect safe haven again, but she was determined to reclaim it as her own. Besides, she'd be damned if she let that monster take anything from her ever again.

With her house clean and secure, Anna sat on her couch, her tattered dress in her lap. She had her scissors on her left and her sewing kit on her right. She caressed the fabric of her dress and smiled, surprised. She thought she would feel the pain of its loss, and of how it was taken from her. But she felt the happiness of shopping for it with Tillie and Grace Leanna. She felt the joy of Kristoff seeing her in it. She felt the bliss of their wonderful evening together. While there was no hope for mending the dress, she stared at the tattered fabric and got an idea. She cut the dress into strips and laid them out on the coffee table. Taking each strip of the ruined satin she wove a simple square. The top of a pillow. A pillow for Temperance Dawn's bed.

She warmed the simple casserole Bulda left for her to eat, and after she cleaned the dishes she took the longest, hottest shower she could tolerate. The water did more than loosen sore muscles and rinse away the dust and sweat of her day. It was as if it washed away a mountain of pain, self-doubt, and fear. She thoroughly scrubbed her hair and body at least three times with the sandalwood-scented body wash Tillie left for her, and rinsed herself clean with cool water. She emerged from the shower feeling calmer, lighter, and more centered than she had in a long time.

After drying off and tying her hair up in a messy bun, she went to her dresser for a nightgown. But she changed her mind. Instead she grabbed Kristoff's flannel, the one he left there after their first real date together alone, and slipped that on instead. She pulled back the crisp white linen bedsheets and laid down. She glanced out the window at the multitude of stars in the sky, and as she drifted to sleep she remembered her mantra. "I own my thoughts. I control my life. My past no longer defines me.

"And I am loved."

* * *

The next morning dawned sunny and promising. Anna slept fitfully; even exhaustion couldn't keep all of the nightmares away. She wanted to do this on her own, but she realized there was no shame in asking for help. So she texted Kristoff.

 _He's still in jail, isn't he?_

 _Yes, my love, he is. Tillie's down at the police station to make sure of it, so we'll know right away if that changes._

 _You sure she's not there to torment that deputy she clobbered?_

 _LOL! Tillie's good at multi-tasking._

 _Thank you Kristoff._

 _Temperance Dawn says she loves you and hopes you'e feeling better. We're here for you. Have a good day._

Anna set the phone down and walked to the front door. She slowly undid the bolt and opened it to greet the day. She took a deep breath of the morning air, taking in the promise of a new day, when something caught her eye. She walked over to the edge of her porch and bent down to pick up a single white rose. She inhaled its sweet fragrance with a smile. She knew it was Kristoff's way of letting her know he was there for her, that he loved her, without intruding on her solitude.

Anna sat cross legged on the Hindu prayer rug, an incense stick burning, her mind focusing on her mantras for the day. _The demon has no power. The demon has no power. I am Anna. I am loved. I am worthy. I am strong. I am._ With each repetition of her mantras she felt the strength flow into her and she felt secure for the first time in a long time.

After dinner she went to close the front door. She saw another rose on the porch. Another promise.

The next day she rearranged all of her furniture. It hurt like heck with her broken wrist, but it also felt good. It felt like taking charge of her surroundings, setting rules, organizing priorities. Another day full of purpose. Another two roses left for her.

The third day Anna got dressed and ate a quick breakfast of cheese and fruit, then moved on to tackle cleaning out her closet. Not that there was much to clean, what little clothing she had was down on the floor stuffed in her lone duffel bag, along with her savings. She stared at it long and hard. She knew what it meant: Running. Well, she wasn't going to run anymore. She deliberately emptied the bag onto her bed, folded the clothes and neatly placed them back in the dresser, and returned her cash to its original hiding place.

Walking back into her bedroom she bumped into the dresser, knocking the white leather-bound hymnal to the floor. Kristoff's roses fell to the floor. She knelt down to retrieve them, her tears stinging her face. God, how she loved that man. Her fingertips brushed along the velvet soft edge of a petal. She knew there would be days when she would have to fight back against the thoughts in her head, telling her she wasn't worth all the effort he'd put into her, all the pain he'd gone through for her. But she would fight. Fight to be worthy of him. Of them.

She stood and carried the hymnal and roses to her kitchen table, where Temperance Dawn's drawings lay waiting to be fixed. She laid everything out on the table and sat down to stare at it all and think. She felt as if she stood at a crossroads. For the first time in forever, she was in control of her life. The future was uncertain, but it would unfold based on her choices.

"I may not think I'm worthy of their love, but I can be," she said aloud. "I will be. So I will work to be." She made her choice, and she felt her heart mend and grow stronger for it.

She stood resolutely and gathered a few things, then carried them outside to the metal trash can in the back yard. She dumped into it anything that reminded her of running away. The clothes she had on her first day in Arendelle. Her interstate maps. The duffel bag. She lit a match and dropped it into the metal can, lighting up her past. As the flames rose she looked down the road to her future.

* * *

She put on her favorite linen shirt and capris, locked up her house, and got to her bike and rode into town. She passed by the friendly faces she had grown accustomed to and smiled. She pulled into the familiar driveway and parked her bikes among the others along the fence. Most of the family was out and about, school and grocery shopping and the like. But she knew he was home. She could hear his music playing from inside the trailer. She knocked on the door and waited.

"Anna?" he exclaimed, concern in his eyes but a smile on his face.

"Can we go for a walk? There's something I'd like to tell you."

"Of course. Are you ok? Is everything all right?"

Anna nodded, holding out her hand for him. Kristoff gladly took it and let her lead him on their walk. They walked together in a comfortable silence through Bulda's garden. Kristoff snagged a fallen rose from the ground and held it out for Anna. She took it with a grateful nod. They walked out onto the family dock and sat together on the edge, their toes dipping into the water. "Remember how I had a list?"

"Had?"

"Yeah," Anna gazed out over the sun-dappled water. "Escape. Find a safe place. Find a place to live. Support myself. Find love." She blushed, not quite meeting his eye. "I don't need it anymore. I'm home. With you."

"Anna? Sweetheart?"

"I'm not perfect," Anna said, staring out over the water again. "I'm never going to be perfect, but that's enough for now."

"I don't want you to be perfect. I just want you to be you, Anna. That's all I want."

"I'm still healing," she said softly. "I don't know how long that will take."

"However long it takes, I will be there with you."

"You asked me once if I was afraid of you," Anna said softly. She dropped her hands to her lap and turned to face him. "I'm not," she said firmly, then dropped her eyes. "Even with everything that's happened with us, I was never afraid of you. But I was afraid of us, of what that meant, of what we were becoming." She took a breath and looked back up at him. "But I'm not afraid anymore. I know what I want."

"Anna," he breathed, cradling her face in his palm.

"I'm still healing, still need your help."

"Likewise."

"I'm still going to worry about things I shouldn't worry about anymore."

"I'm still going to be a grouch."

"I'm still going to be insecure, and have to fight the urge to run away."

"I'm still going to say the wrong things. And if you run away I will chase after you."

"That's good." She paused for a moment, then looked at him earnestly. "I love you, Kristoff." The words came with such ease that to Kristoff it felt like the hundred millionth time she's told him and not just the fifth. But they still sent a thrill down his spine and made him feel like the luckiest man on the planet.

"I love you too, Anna. Always." He bent low and captured her lips in a long, slow kiss brimming with promise. She gratefully returned the kiss, caressing his cheek as he trailed his fingers across her shoulders and down to encircle her waist.

They came up for air, and she kissed him on the nose. "I guess I should get back to work. I have three dozen petits fours to make for Mrs. Sanderson."

"Can I help?"

"I'd like that."


	16. Ever Thankful, Ever Grateful

**A/N: A big, huge, titanic thank you to frenzy for all her help with this chapter. Oh and I totally stole the Calm thing from Jane the Virgin. It** **totally helps though.**

* * *

 **Unbreak You**

Chapter 16: Ever Thankful, Ever Grateful

"Okay, let me see if I have this right," Anna said, taking a tray of brownies out of the big oven in the basement kitchen of the Bjorgman's house. "You assault the guy, get sentenced to three hundred hours of community service, and now he's asking you to the South Carolina Policeman's Ball in Columbia at then end of the month?"

"Well, we have been 'dating' since late August," Tillie said, making the air quotes as she said the word dating.

"Late August..." Anna set the tray of brownies down and did some quick math. "Wait, did you ask him out when you were at the Station keeping an eye on... things?"

"No!" Tillie sat up, indignant, then she smiled. "He asked me. On the other side of the bars."

"Really? After he just met you? And by meet I mean your elbow met his nose?"

"He said of all the combative women who've resisted arrest, mine was the one with the most devotion and spirit. Said my devotion to my friend was sexy."

"Well, at least he knows what he's getting himself into," Anna teased, pouring the warm chocolate icing over the tops of the brownies. Tillie smiled, glad that Anna was healing enough to tease about relationships, a topic she normally avoided.

"I haven't scared him off yet," Tillie pouted.

"Gone to karaoke night yet?" Anna teased.

"Okay, that wasn't my fault. Those guys were being straight up dicks."

"How's that community service going anyway?" Anna asked, placing another try of brownies into the oven.

"Really great, actually," Tilie perked up. "Rayna has me working with more of the Haven girls, and suggested some psychology courses at the community college. Even gave me some books to read."

"That's wonderful, Tillie. I'm sure you're a huge ray of sunshine for those women."

"When I'm not a bull in a china shop, anyway," Tillie laughed.

Anna laughed too. "We don't have an event for a while, got any plans this evening?"

"Dinner and a movie, then spending the night with Kevin since he can't very well come here," Tillie said. "Not that anyone would really notice yet another person in this house but it would be a little awkward for Grace Leanna."

"Why haven't you and Grace Leanna gotten your own place?"

"Because Mama has this weird thing about having us all under one roof."

"What about me? Does she have a problem with me having my own place?" Anna asked, sprinkling candy confetti on the brownies.

"You're a special case for Mama," Tillie said. "You're the love of her boy's life. You will always be ranked just a bit higher than the rest of us."

Anna looked down, not sure how she's supposed to feel about this. "Tillie, I -"

"I'm teasing, Anna. You know Mama doesn't play favorites. She loves all her babies, you included, and her favorite baby is always the one she happens to be talking to at any given moment," Tillie smiled. "And she tolerates you living across town because she knows you need it to heal. Once you're okay she'll be rearranging bedrooms to make room for you. Or turn a blind eye when you're in the trailer with Kristoff."

"Tillie!" "You're right, sorry. She wouldn't turn a blind eye. She'd shove the both of you out the back door in the evening & expect you to be late for breakfast."

" _Tillie!"_ They both laughed and Anna shook her head in disbelief.

Anna looked up at her best friend, "But Bulda would really make room for me at the house?"

"You know Mama, so you're not surprised by that. You're surprised at the gesture," Tillie squeezed her hand. "You really are loved, Anna. Never stop being amazed by it, but stop being surprised by it."

Anna squeezed back, "I'm trying."

"I know."

"Enough about me. Tell me more about the Ball. Got a dress yet?"

"Nope. Haven't decided if I'm going to wear a sari or a normal gown Grace Leanna and I are going to Charleston next week to look around Macy's. Wanna tag along?"

"I'd love to, thank you," Anna grinned. "And this weekend?"

"Well, Kevin wants to know if you and Kristoff would want to go on a double date with us this Saturday?"

"Saturday?" Anna said. "That's the day of Temperance Dawn's Halloween carnival. I signed up to help with her class's booth that afternoon."

"Look at you being all PTA Mom," Tillie teased.

"I like working with the little ones. And it's been good for Temperance Dawn to have someone there for her during the day," Anna said, cutting into the cooled brownies. "She's doing better with the other girls and I can nip the bullying in the bud before it gets worse."

"That is so great," Tillie said. "So, important question time: can I have a brownie?"

"Those," Anna said pointing to a smaller plate. "Are for the family. These are for Temperance Dawn's class tomorrow."

"You're going to have to really hide those. Once the boys smell chocolate they're on it like sharks to a whale carcass."

"Great imagery there, Tillie." Anna plated up the brownies and covered them, putting them on one of the rolling racks in the basement kitchen. "But accurate. I made more than enough."

"Care to make a wager on that?"

* * *

Anna sat at her sewing machine putting the finishing touches on the miniature version of Mary Poppins's Jolly Holiday dress for Temperance Dawn to wear for her school's Halloween carnival. She hadn't been able to sleep through the night since the attack and so instead of lying alone in bed being afraid, Anna worked on the costumes. It was going to be a surprise for the little girl, who thought they were going to the pop-up Halloween store in town to get he a ready-made Mary Poppins costume. But Anna had other plans. Not only did she make her Papillon the dress, matching hat and even found her a parasol, her own dress was finished too. Plus she hit the thrift store for all the parts for Kristoff's Bert costume. She and Temperance Dawn were going to be matching in the Jolly Holiday dress while Kristoff was going to be chimney sweep Bert. She couldn't wait to show them what she'd been working on. She hoped they liked it.

She hadn't told Kristoff about not being able to sleep. She didn't want to worry him more than he still was. The crap with Scary Lady was still ongoing and he was keeping a tight watch on Temperance Dawn. So he wasn't sleeping well either, and she worried about him. The last thing she wanted to do was to add to his burden.

She took the dress over to the couch to finish off the hem by hand. She turned on her little CD player, listening to her hymns. Anna hummed along as she stitched the hem, making it smooth and even. At one point she looked up and screamed. Something was in her window. She grabbed her phone and frantically called the one person she knew she could count on.

"Anna? It's two in the morning," Kristoff mumbled into the phone.

"There's something outside the cottage," she said, her voice terrified.

"I'm on my way," he said without a moments hesitation.

He texted her when he arrived and told her not to worry, he would check out everything. Kristoff walked around the cottage, looking for signs of an intruder. Not only did he find signs, he saw the three culprits. Raccoons had knocked over Anna's metal trashcans and were making a mess of things. "You little bastards," Kristoff laughed, shooing them off into the woods. Once they scampered off he went back over to his truck and dug out a roll of duct tape from his roolbox. He scooped up the mess the raccoons made, taped the can lids shut, and made a note to ask her if he could get her better trash cans.

He dusted off his hands, and then knocked softly on Anna's front door. "It's ok, Anna, they're gone."

"They?!" her heard her squeak behind her door as she opened the locks.

"Raccoons got into your trashcans," Kristoff grinned at her as she opened the door and invited him in. "Pesky little shits, too. Mind if I wash up?"

She nodded, and followed him into her little kitchen. "I cleaned up the mess they made & taped everything down. It should be fine until we can get you some better sealing cans." He washed his hand, drying them and wiping up the excess water from the counter.

"Thank you," Anna said, looking down. "Sorry to bother you so late."

"It's no problem, sweetheart. I'm always here for you." He cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb caressing the freckles on her cheek.

"But all this fuss over a raccoon," Anna sighed.

"Well, there were three of them," he gently teased. She huffed out a small laugh, but still wouldn't look up. "Anna. You're okay, that's all that matters to me. I'm so glad you called. I... I've been thinking about you. A lot."

"You have?" she looked up.

"Of course I have, Anna. I hate that you live out here all by yourself."

"It's good for me to be on my own though. I never have been." She looked down at her feet.

"I know," he smiled. "Doesn't mean I don't worry about you."

She opened her arms for him and he pulled her tight to him. God, how he missed her. They agreed that for her healing they would limit their interactions. Anna stopped coming over for breakfast, and used that time instead for her yoga and meditation. She still took Temperance Dawn to school and stayed to help in her class. She and Kristoff shared one meal a day together and that usually ended up being dinner with the family. During the lunchtime hours he was usually in consultations for parties and events. So lunchtime was her and Temperance Dawn's special time. After lunch they would walk down to the library and cuddle together on the overstuffed pillows and read together. About once a week they would check out a new long chapter book that Anna would read to her at night. They had just finished _Stuart_ _Little_ and were now moving on to _Charlotte's_ _Web_.

Kristoff and Anna had two dates a week, one with Temperance Dawn and one alone, and they had to get creative to have them around catering events. Sometimes they had to consider the weekly run to Costco their date. Kristoff was in charge of getting the flatbed cart and maneuvering the cart through the aisles while Anna was in charge of the list, the calculator, the coupon book, and keeping her boyfriend from killing anyone in the process. Groceries for thirteen people add up quickly and Bulda shops on a tight budget. That didn't mean they didn't have fun with it. After shopping they would get a slice of pizza, a churro, and spilt a large coke before making the drive back to Arendelle. Kristoff always let Anna pick the station, but usually she just curled into his side as he drove them home, enjoying just being.

She traced random doodles on his leg, following patterns in his jeans with a hand a shade paler than the rest of her, since she only recently got out of her cast. "When did you know?" she asked.

"Know what?"

"That you loved me."

"It's hard to say."

"Why?"

"Because I fought it," he switched hands on the wheel so he could cover her much smaller one with his. "I knew there was something about you from the first moment Tillie brought you home with her. But I wasn't looking. I'd been burned too hard in the past, I couldn't deal with that again. But I couldn't stop thinking about you. It kinda pissed me off at first," he grinned, clasping her hand. "Seeing you with Temperance Dawn, especially after that incident in the Library, really got to me. I think I stopped fighting it sometime around the street fair, or maybe when we helped you move into your place. Definitely by Tempe's party. Definitely Tempe's party."

She was quiet for a long moment. He rubbed his fingers over her knuckles, softly encouraging her to open up. "I knew I loved you for a while now too, Kristoff," Anna said, quietly, looking up at him. "That night you broke down, so scared for Temperance Dawn? I brought you a sandwich, and you didn't eat it. But you looked me that night like no one ever had. Like you were glad to see me. For me to be there for you. That's when I knew I loved you. I even said it, after you fell asleep, but I didn't feel worthy to be with you."

"You'll never have to feel that way again," he said, pulling his truck off the road and coming to a stop. He twisted so he looked straight at her, "You are the best thing to ever happen to me. To both Tempe and me. I know it's only been a few months, but I can't honestly imagine our lives without you in them."

She looked down, blushing, and he tipped her chin up with a gentle hand caressing her face. She wrapped her own around his wrist as they gazed into each others' eyes. She turned her head and kissed his palm. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her hard, hungrily, his arms wrapping around her tightly. "I love you, Anna. I know it'd be a tight fit, but move into the trailer with me. Please?"

"I'm not ready, Kristoff," she whispered. "I love you, but I've never been by myself. I need to know who I am outside of a relationship. I need to get better for myself, so I can be better for you. And for Temperance Dawn. She needs me to be the kind of mom she deserves."

"I know, I just had to ask."

"Thank you for asking."

"I'll try not to ask you more than three times a day," he grinned at her.

She leaned up and kissed his nose. "Deal."

And he kept his word. He knew she needed space, so he gave her space. At first it frustrated him, because he ached to wrap himself around her and never let go. But he learned to appreciate what she could give and cherish simply being around her, working with her, sharing jokes, trading lovesick smiles, watching her with Temperance Dawn. He grew to love just being with her, and not only because it made her touch all the more sweeter.

Like now, standing together in her entry way, just holding each other close, just being together, soothed old wounds and strengthened mending hearts. "I'm sorry to worry you," she murmured.

"I'm not," he murmured back, stroking her hair softly. "Worrying comes with love, and I love you. Or do you not worry about me too?"

"I do," she replied. "Both. I do worry about you, and I do love you." He caressed her cheek, smiling softly at her, the lateness of the hour bewitching them. "Do you want to stay for a bit?" Anna asked, looking up at him.

"Please."

She took his hand and pulled him further inside. They hadn't been alone in her cottage in over a week. They hadn't been alone at all since their last date. The combination of the the longing, the adrenaline rush from earlier, and his closeness made her head spin. She reached up on her tip-toes and kissed him. He wrapped her in his arms and they stumbled back to the couch. Anna moved Temperance Dawn's costume and laid back for him, staring up at him with such devotion. She felt so safe, so loved, so wanted. He laid above her on his elbows, one hand under her waist, pressing her up into his chest while the other cradled her head as he kissed her over and over. She slowly began to unbutton the shirt she was wearing. His shirt, the red one he left after their first date.

"Anna? What are you doing?" Kristoff whispered, breathless, catching her hands in his.

"I want to do this. With you."

He swallowed, hard, "A-are you sure?"

"Yes," she smiled brightly, almost too brightly, as she finished unbuttoning his shirt and spreading it open, lying under him on her couch in nothing more than her bra and panties. Her blue eyes searching his for any sign that she wasn't wanted. His eyes slid down her body, drinking in her curves like a man trapped in the desert. "Beautiful," he husked out before his lips found hers and his hand cupped her face, kissing her deeply. He wanted her. He wanted her more than he ever did anyone in his whole life. He'd been dreaming of her like this with him for too many nights, waking up breathless and wanting. He needed to touch her, to taste her, to sear her into his senses now, like this. Anything to erase the nightmare of seeing her bound and beaten. He kissed along her jaw, down her neck and between her perfect breasts.

"Anna, you are so beautiful," his eyes locked with hers as he trailed his lips lower and lower, her breath gasping out as he sought out and kissed every freckle he could find. Willing him along with a quiet but eager moan, Kristoff slipped his fingers under her panties to slowly remove them, but she gasped softly, biting her lip. "Anna? Sweetheart? Do you want me to stop? Tell me and I will."

"N-No. I want this. I want you." He could hear the fear in her voice. That trepidation. He moved his hands to her knees, looking right at her.

"I'll never use you Anna. This, us, we're partners. I will never, _ever_ make you feel like he did. I swear it."

She nodded and cautiously spread her legs open for him. He kissed her belly, lightly tracing her inner thighs. Anna breathed deeply, the swell of her breasts rising and falling with each ragged breath. His fingers moved from her inner thighs to her center. His thick fingers parting her lower lips. His thumb finding that small nub at her center. Anna gasped and instinctively closed her legs and started to sit up, pulling his shirt around her body, shaking.

"I-I-I can't," she trembled, tears pooling in her eyes. "I..."

"Shh," he gathered her into his arms and sat up, cradling her against his chest, murmuring softly in her ear. "I've got you. It's okay. It's okay."

"No, it's not!" she huffed, anger swallowing her fear. "I want you, Kristoff, I swear I want you so much! But my head, it just... it's not fair! To you, it's just not! Why can't I do this?!" she cried.

"Anna..." His voice was calming and soothing, cradling her in his arms, his chin resting on her head. His hands rubbed her back, feeling the grooves and creases beneath the fabric.

"I'm not afraid of you. Of what you can do. I'm not! I want... I want to make... B-but I can't..." she trailed off.

"It's ok, sweetheart. I know. I understand," he whispered, kissing her temple.

"I don't," she pouted.

He leaned back to catch her watery blue eyes and caressed her cheek. "How many time, before me, have you been touched like this?"

She breathed deep, turning into his touch. How she loved his touch. "Never. No one but you."

"And how many times were you touched in anger, malice or against your will?"

Her eyes clouded, and she looked away from him, not wanting to know that number.

"Too many," Kristoff said softly. "Anna, it's going to take time. I am in no hurry. I will wait for as long as you need to."

"But you shouldn't have to put up with this," she fretted.

"Hey, this isn't about me," he kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger against her smooth skin. "You want this, so you'll make it work. I don't care how long it takes. I will be with you every step of the way, if you'll let me."

She took a deep breath and sighed, her anger and fear melting away with her breath. She snuggled deeper into his embrace. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I'm not," Kristoff replied. She cocked her head in curiosity. "I love you, and I don't want you to have any doubts lingering in your mind. I want you to be fully comfortable, and honest with yourself about it. When I make love to you...Anna, sweetheart, it will be worth the wait."

"I love you, Kristoff."

"I will never get tired of hearing you say that," he sighed, rubbing her back in slow, soothing circles. She shivered as a cool night breeze drafted through the house, coming in through the fireplace. Kristoff wrapped her in the blanket over the back of the couch, holding her to him. They sat together for several minutes, just being. "Anna, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Why didn't you tell me that you aren't sleeping?"

She turned her head deeper into the crook of his neck, "I didn't want you to worry."

His free hand pinched the bridge of his nose and ran down his face in exasperation. What is with the women in his life not wanting him to do what comes naturally? He worries and he cares. "Anna, just like I don't get to keep things from you, you can't keep something like this from me. I love you and I need you to be able to tell me anything."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just that, I haven't slept well in years, Kristoff. I'm used to it. Sometimes it's just... worse. To be honest, the only good nights of sleep I've had in a long time were when I stayed at your place."

 _All the more reason to move in with me, love_ , he thought, but he'd never push. "It took Temperance a long time to be able to sleep when I got her back. The slightest noise would wake her up. Bulda found her a noise machine to help sooth her. Maybe it might help you?"

"Oh, but I couldn't take it from her. Not if she still needs it."

"Don't worry, I have three," Kristoff chuckled. "One for the trailer, one for the main house, and a spare just in case."

"Oh, alright then. Thank you," she smiled. He kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her nose, and then her lips before tucking her back under his chin and leaning back to cradle her close. He understood her frustration; he shared it. But she kept fighting. And just now, when he knew she wanted to run, she didn't. He would never cease to be amazed by the strength of her heart.

He felt her go limp in his arms, sleep finally coming for her. He was tempted to fall asleep with her right there, warm and safe with him. But he didn't want to overstep again, so he lifted her up and carried her into her bedroom. She shifted in his arms, so he looked down into her peaceful face. "Do you have to get back to Papillon?"

"She's in her room in the big house," Kristoff said. "Bulda's got her."

"Mmmhmmm," she nodded.

"Want me to sleep on the couch?"

A beat. "No," she breathed, looking up at him. "Stay with me? Next to me?"

"Alright," he carefully laid her on her bed, then climbed in with her. He pulled her back up tight against his chest, and felt her relax into him. He couldn't explain it, but holding her like this just felt... right. Her hand rested on the pillow, and he laced their fingers together and kissed her flannel-clad shoulder. "I love you, Anna," he murmured before surrendering himself to sleep.

* * *

Kristoff was the first to wake up, just as the dawn stained the sky, having slept more soundly than he had in a while. He was still cradling Anna in his arms, warm and safe, and knowing he held her all night made him very reluctant to let go. He brushed the wild tangle of her hair aside and kissed her forehead. He eventually got up, and she stirred slightly. "Go back to sleep sweetheart," he whispered. "I'll see you later, okay? I have to get to Tempe. She likes seeing me in the morning."

She mumbled something that sounded a lot like, "Okay, I love you, bye-bye."

He smiled, and leaned down to ghost one last kiss across her lips. "I love you so much Anna."

"Love too," Anna whispered.

He tucked the blanked up under her chin and quietly left.

Anna awoke fully about an hour later and realized she was alone. She wasn't surprised; he probably had to get home to help with breakfast. But she had to admit she was a touch disappointed. She really liked sleeping in his arms. His big arms surrounding her, holding her close, safe. Protected.

In the cool light of the morning, her memory replayed the night before over and over. His warmth, his touch, his kiss... She took off her clothes for him. She wanted him, but then she ruined it by flinching away from his gentle touch. When would she be free of that bone-deep terror that would bubble up every time she got close to him? His touch ignited a fire in her that warmed her to her very core. It kindled feelings in her that pulsed and burned in the most delightful way, but there was still that lingering fear. Not of him, never of him, but of the past, and of opening herself up to that moment when she would let go and be with him.

And when he didn't get mad. When he helped her understand a little of what she felt. When he held her...

She needed to talk this through. While she was thankful for her friendships with Tillie and Grace Leanna, talking to them about sex with their brother was something she just couldn't do. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be okay with talking about that with them. Not because Kristoff is their brother, but because of the subject. Given her history, it was beyond tricky. She needed Rayna. Luckily she had an appointment with her that afternoon so she wouldn't have to wait too long. She was suddenly impatient to get past this annoying roadblock.

She pushed her blankets aside, not bothering to make the bed, another freedom she claimed, and padded into the kitchen. On the old icebox, nestled atop one of her many Temperance Dawn masterpieces, was a note:

 _I wanted to be here when you woke up, Anna, but I promised Temperance that I would always be home when she woke up. I'm sorry. You are my dawn. You fill my world with sunshine. Don't ever change. I love you._

Anna smiled at Kristoff's note. His love for his child was so admirable. She couldn't imagine him without her, and more and more she could imagine herself with them. She got dressed, choosing for the day a light cotton print dress, leggings and her canvas tennis shoes. She hopped on her bike and had a smile on her face for the first time in forever. The sun was shining and she was off to be with her family.

"Why do you think you have such a hard time being intimate with Kristoff?" Rayna asked.

"Because I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"That I'm not going to be enough for him. That all this waiting is only going to make him look somewhere else. For someone else," Anna said, hugging the pillow to her chest.

"What makes you think that Kristoff would be unfaithful? And if you even say that name, I will beat you with that pillow. Would you?"

"Would I what?"

"You love him. If he asked you to wait, would you look elsewhere?"

"No, of course not! Kristoff is all I have ever wanted. He's..."

"Exactly! Look at it from the other side. You know you wouldn't betray his love or trust. So why would you think he would?"

Anna's quiet for a moment overthinking everything like she always does. "Because..."

"Don't go there Anna. The past is in the past. If you wanted to keep going back there, to who you used to be, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You're growing and changing Anna and that's so great. You need to unlock that big heart of yours and be open to the possibility that things are only getting better for you. You have a solid, wonderful man who loves you. A family that wants you. A daughter who looks up to you. A job you enjoy. A plan for your future. Focus on those amazing positives, and not the negatives in your past, and you'll find a whole new world opening up right before your eyes."

Anna looked down, lost in thought.

"You've come so far, Anna. Acknowledge that. Celebrate it. And accept that it's a journey that you'll be on for a long time to come. When those old worries and thought patterns start creeping back into your mind, stop. Take a breath. Look them in the eye and know them for the falsehoods and negativity they are, and leave them behind you. When you start to feel those panics starting to come around, take time to get calm. Ground yourself with something that starts with C-A-L and M. Center on that and you'll be able to power through it."

Calm, Anna thought. C - Cakes. A - Amazing Grace. L - Lilies. M - Matilda Louise.

Though thinking of 'calm' and Tillie at the same time made her giggle.

* * *

"Temperance Dawn! Come here please, sweetheart!" Anna called into the big house. She was carrying a flat white box with a big red bow on it and inside was all the pieces to Temperance Dawn's Halloween costume. "Papillon! I have something for you!"

The little girl danced into the room from outside where she was digging for her fairy charms. With Anna around she seemed less and less interested in finding them as quickly as her aunts could hide and more and more interested in songs and stories with her mommy. She threw her arms around Anna and gave her the biggest hug.

"Mommy!" Temperance Dawn exclaimed. "Daddy said you were coming over today. I've missed you!"

"I have something for you, Papillon," Anna said, setting the box down on her coloring table. "Now I know Kristoff and I were going to go take you costume shopping today, but I thought I could surprise you."

"What is it?" Temperance Dawn carefully pulled the ribbon off the box and opened the lid. She pushed aside the white tissue paper and let out a gleeful cry. "Mommy! It's so pretty! Is it from our movie?"

"Yes, Papillon. I knew you'd recognize it," Anna grinned lovingly at her.

"Thank you Mommy!" she threw her little arms around her neck, crumpling the dress between them, then jumped back with glee. "Grandma! Daddy! Aunties!" Temperance Dawn held the white and red dress up in front of her and started twirling around, laughing and jumping up and down. Anna smiled, so pleased that her little Papillon was so happy.

"What the blazes is going on in here?" Bulda asked coming up from the basement kitchen.

"Look what Mommy got me!" Temperance Dawn exclaimed, twirling around the room with her Jolly Holiday dress.

"Well isn't that sweet? Anna Marcie where did you find such a well-made costume?"

"I made it for her," Anna said with a smile. "Tillie gave me her old machine and I found a pattern online at the library and, yeah."

"Anna Marcie you are just full of surprises," Bulda said, kissing her cheek.

 _Wait 'til you see the rest of it_ , Anna thought, grinning. Temperance Dawn found the hat, gloves and parasol and was busy trying them on. "Where's Kristoff?" Anna looked around.

"You best give him some space, baby girl."

"Why?" Anna asked, puzzled.

"He might not be in the best of moods. His attorney called. That's never been a good thing," Bulda sighed.

"I see. Is he out in the trailer?"

"Yes, but-"

"Maybe I can help him. Lord knows he helps me when I'm not in the best of moods."

"If anyone can help him, Anna Marcie, it's you," Bulda patted her on the arm, gratitude shining on her round face.

Anna left Bulda and went out to Kristoff's trailer. She knocked softly on the door.

"What the fuck Mark? She can't do this to us! She can't!" Kristoff yelled so loud Anna could clearly hear him from the outside of the Airstream.

Anna pulled open the door and stepped inside. Kristoff was pacing inside his trailer, pulling at his hair with his free hand. He was angry, angrier than she had ever seen him. "That bitch will not drive me from my own home!" She sat down at the table and watched him, calm and patient. Not afraid, just concerned.

He hung up the phone, hurled it onto his bed, and kept pacing. He couldn't deal with this... this... this fucking bullshit anymore! The worry for his daughter... It hurt too damn much, like a ferret in his gut. He glanced over at Anna sitting at his table looking absolutely perfect. God, he needed her. He took two steps and gathered her into his arms. "Kris-mmmph!" He kissed her hard, crushed her tight to his chest. He needed to sink into her, to drown out the noise and the pain. His hands reached under her shirt, clutching at her waist, digging into her skin. Anna attempted to pull away from him but he pulled her back against his chest, lustfully grabbing her. Hungrily he kissed her more, a low growl rumbling in his throat, his hands running up her ribs. A ripping sound tore through the trailer as the buttons on her blouse popped off. Tears stung Anna's eyes.

"Kristoff, stop," she said firmly, freeing her arms from his embrace, pushing him back. He blinked, almost as if waking up from a nightmare, then his eyes widened in horror. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye and down her cheek. He covers his mouth, the shame and humiliation growing on his face.

"Oh God! Anna, sweetheart..." He fell back, stumbled back into his bed and dropped to his knees. "Oh God. What have I done?"

She knelt down in front of him, "It's all right, Kristoff."

"No! No it's not okay, Anna," he buried his face in his hands. "I... I'm so so sorry, sweetheart. God, please forgive me."

She placed her slender hands on his massive ones and gently tugged them away from his face, her eyes glistening with concern and empathy.

"Oh my Anna. Please, please don't run...please..."

"I'm not going anywhere, Kristoff."

"I can't believe I did that to you. I can't believe I just, I almost, what kind of monster am I? I'm no better than he was."

"Kristoff, that is not true, don't even say that," she said firmly, holding his head between her hands so she could look him in the eye. "Think. Why did you do it?"

"I needed you," he whimpered. "I knew you could make the pain go away."

"And not to hurt me or put your pain on me?"

"God, no!" he blanched. "Never! Anna, I would never do that. Not ever. Oh Anna..."

"Of course not! You love me. Now talk to me. What pain, my love?"

"They're going to let her off house arrest," he groaned. "After everything she's done, she'll just on straight parole. The police couldn't stop her when they kept a close eye on her, and now they want to give her free rein?!"

She ran her fingers through his hair, willing her warmth into him. God, he looked so frightened. "She keeps hurting me. She keeps getting into my head and hurting me. I can take it, but when she hurts Tempe..."

"You have to stop letting her see your pain. She can't hurt you if you don't let her."

"I tried that, once, but it backfired. It drove her so crazy she took Tempe from me. I can't lose her again, Anna. I can't lose our daughter. I just can't."

"We're not going lose Papillon," Anna insisted, smiling softly at the word 'our' despite his mounting panic. "We'll fight this. Together. There's got to be a, a hearing or something, right? Get Temperance Dawn's psychologist to testify. Her school teacher, too. Show how much danger she'd be in if that witch is let loose."

"Mark's trying everything. Petitioning the court, getting statements from everyone involved."

"Good," Anna stroked his face, trying to calm him down more. "We won't allow this to happen. I won't allow it. I won't allow her hurt you or Temperance Dawn anymore. That little girl is the most important thing to both of us." Kristoff's eyes drifted shut and he nodded. "Besides," Anna continued. "God knows, if Witchy McBitchface tries anything, Tillie would let her Kevin shoot her."

Kristoff huffed out a laugh, then took a big, shuddering breath and looked at her, "I'm sorry, Anna. What I did to you was unforgivable."

"No it wasn't, because I forgive you."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so rough with you."

"But you stopped, and that's all that matters. You stopped when I said stop."

"I won't let it happen again. I'm sorry."

"I know. And I forgive you."

"You may forgive me, but I won't forgive myself."

"You have to," Anna said earnestly. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's you have to let go of the negativity of the past. You made a mistake. It's in the past, Kristoff. Let it go. I love you, and I trust you. That hasn't changed one bit."

She pulled him close, cradling his head against her chest. The big man shook as he cried, holding onto Anna, praying that she wasn't going to run. That he didn't just send her back down the rabbit hole. She softly hummed in his ear. " _Unforgettable Tho' near or far. Like a song of love that clings to me, How the thought of you does things to me. Never before Has someone been more..._ "

How did he get lucky enough to have her love him? How was she still here?

"Please don't let me go," he breathed.

"Never," she promised. "I love you, Kristoff."

"I may have screwed up big time, but I was right about one thing," he whispered.

"What's that?"

"You make the pain go away."

She leaned in and gave him a slow, soft kiss.

* * *

Thanksgiving, the one of maybe ten days a year that Bjorgman Family Catering doesn't do an event. Mostly because it was an event in and of itself. At last headcount there was going to be eighteen people attending, plus anyone else who may happen to stop by, which they usually did for the family if not the food. The whole of the Bjorgman clan would be there, plus Anna, Tillie's Deputy Kevin, Grace Leanna's girlfriend Kaylee Quinn, Adam Carter's boyfriend Travis Ryan, and Penny June's exchange student friends Li Han from China and Edwin Kyle from Australia.

There were four turkeys, three hams, twenty pounds of mashed potatoes, a gallon of brown gravy, three dozen deviled eggs, ten pounds of candied yams, three trays of green bean casserole, fresh cranberry sauce, pies and cakes. Kristoff and Bulda had been cooking for three days. They also made a full dinner for the residents at Haven. Anna and Tillie delivered it that morning, much to the shock and surprise of Rayna. Anna never wanted to slice another egg for as long as she lived. After Adam Carter relieved her of kitchen duty, Anna took charge of getting the tables set. The house was too small to have that many people over, so they were using the dining room at Arendelle Mansion, the family's main venue. She was supervising Lucy May, Junebug Carly, Justin Carl and Stephen Michael with the silverware while Tillie and Grace Leanna were handling the plates, glasses and place cards.

"Anna? Do you and Kristoff want to sit with us or with Mama and Daddy?" Tillie shouts from the other side of the dining room.

"Which will have the most wine?" she joked.

"Stupid question."

"Touché."

"Mommy?" Temperance Dawn called from her small table covered in coloring books.

"Yes Papillon?" Anna answered, looking over at her baby.

"Can I sit at the big table with you and Daddy?"

"Sure baby," Anna said. "But if you get too bored with grown-up talk you can always go back to the kids table."

"Okay Mommy," the little girl bent back over the coloring books and hummed to herself.

"You know Anna," Tillie said, smiling. "That word fits you perfectly. You were brought here to be that child's mother. I believe it with all my heart. Everything you've gone through, everything she's endured, was all so you both could be together."

"I'm starting to believe that, too."

The family and guests were beginning to file into the building, armed with stacks of board games, decks of cards and even an electronic dart board. Penny June and her friends helped Grace Leanna haul in the karaoke machine and even the mid-sized TV from the basement, and the DDR mats. Bulda and Kristoff set out trays of crackers and cheese, veggies and fruit, complete with dips and dozens of varying bottles of soda, water, juice, beers, wines and spirits.

"Kristoff! Get your ass over here so I can kick your ass at darts!" Tillie shouted. "Anna, you too! Team darts."

"It starts," Kristoff groaned.

"Tillie, I've never played darts before," Anna said, keeping an ever watchful eye on Temperance Dawn.

"Oh it's easy. You and I can be a team and Kristoff and Kevin can be the other."

"No way," Kristoff said, joining them, bringing Anna a plate of munchies and a water bottle. She took it with a smile, and leaned into his offered embrace.

"Hey, where's mine?" Tillie whined.

"At the bar, lazybones. Get it yourself," Kristoff said, wrapping his arm around Anna's waist. He couldn't get over how beautiful she looked. She was wearing a red linen dress that came down to her knees and flared out in that 50's swing style. The dress was a halter but she kept herself covered with her black cardigan sweater. Anna had her hair down and slightly curled, and its scent bewitched him.

Tillie excused herself to go get herself and Kevin a plate of munchies. _Be nice to him_ , Tillie's eyes glared at her brother. Kristoff just shrugged and placed a gentle kiss to Anna's cheek.

"So Kevin, Tillie tells me that you've only recently resigned from the Army?" Anna said, making conversation.

"Yeah. A medical discharge after six years in. I took some shrapnel to the shoulder in Afghanistan and figured my hometown could use a good cop to rescue kittens from trees, monitor the harbor for illegal fireworks. You know, small town things. I think the most exciting thing to happen around here was that piece of work who came through two months ago," Kevin said, firing off his darts as he talked. "I couldn't believe the nerve on the asshole. Blaming the whole thing on you, ma'am," he said nodding to Anna. "Calling you some quite rotten names that I don't dare repeat, cause I'm sure my mama would hear them and wash my mouth out with Mercurochrome. Gave me great pleasure to hand him over to the Marshals. He ain't getting out anytime soon."

"Yeah, we're grateful that you got him out of town before I got to the station," Kristoff said, hugging Anna to his side.

"Yeah, Tillie was graphically detailed with her descriptions of what y'all wanted to do to him," Kevin chuckled. "To be honest, most of the deputies would've helped or turned a blind eye."

"So, Kevin. What are your intentions with my sister?"

"Kristoff!" Anna exclaimed. "I don't think it's Kevin we have to worry about. It's Tillie."

"Hey! I'm right here!" Tillie exclaimed.

"Tillie has a temper," Grace Leanna said, walking by with her girlfriend Kaylee Quinn. "If you're not careful, she'll give you more than her elbow."

"It's OK, I've got a thick skull."

Grace Leanna looked him up and down. "Thick skull's not the only thick part about Tillie's cop," she stage-whispered to Quinn, who giggled.

"Grace Leanna! You're supposed to be on my side!" Tillie huffed.

"It's okay baby, I've definitely had worse," Kevin grinned. "Once got in a bar fight against a squad of Marines."

"So has she," Grace Leanna said.

"Grace Leanna I did not and you know it!" Tillie lifted her chin proudly. "They were sailors."

"At least they're leaving us alone," Adam Carter said to his boyfriend Travis.

"Just wait your turn," Penny June teased.

"Oh you're all on my list now," Tillie said, muttering under her breath in Punjabi.

"Are they always like this?" Kevin asked Anna.

"Oh, worse most days. They all work together, live together."

"Sounds like the barracks," Kevin laughed.

Like a ninja Bulda walked up behind her two oldest children and whacked them both on the back of the heads. "What did I tell y'all about being nice to each other today?"

"Sorry Mama," they rubbed their heads and apologized in practiced unison.

"Don't mind them," Anna told Kevin, voice low, as they watched Kristoff and Tillie glare at each other. "They've been through a lot together and love each other dearly. They just have an odd way of showing it."

"I think it's sweet," Kevin grinned.

"And don't take Kristoff too personally. He isn't mad at you, it's just that his interactions with the police department of late have been, well, difficult."

"The Collingsworth case, I know," Kevin frowned. "I wasn't here when all that went down. I sure wish I would have been though. That poor baby girl. I just wish we could've done more sooner with that one too, ma'am. But she managed to convince her parole officer that she was the victim being unfairly treated about whatever she was bitching about, and that muddied the waters something fierce. At least her latest petitions were denied. The restraining orders are in place and I personally drive by the Bjorgman place and hers almost every hour that I'm on shift."

"We thank you for that. Temperance Dawn is safe for now." Anna agreed.

Kristoff and Tillie walked back over, giving Penny June and her friends a turn at the darts. "You didn't answer my question, Kevin," Kristoff crossed his arms over his chest, giving his best Elder Brother glare. Anna wrapped her arms around one thick bicep and grinned.

Tillie frowned at her brother, but Kevin spoke up, "I intend to treat her with the utmost respect and fondness, for as long as she'll let me. I will be the absolute soul of gentle courtesy with her."

"Maybe not so gentle all the time," Tillie grinned, kissing his cheek.

"Tillie!" Anna hissed, giggling.

Kristoff looked him up and down, then nodded. Tillie rolled her eyes at him, then pulled Kevin over to chat with Pabbie and Rayna.

"Oh that was beautiful!" Anna couldn't help but bury her face in his arm to stifle her laughter.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you are," Kristoff looped his arms around her and held her close, savoring her laughter, letting her warmth fill his heart. Anna blushed, and smiled up at him with love. "Happy Thanksgiving my love."


	17. Happy Christmas Humbug Part 1

**A/N: A big, huge, titanic thank you to frenzy for all her help with this chapter. Oh and it would be a good idea to have** **knowledge of Frenzy's fic of this fic "Please." As always please leave a message!**

* * *

 **Unbreak You**

"Tillie, I swear to God, if you change the Pandora station one more time I am going to lock you in the basement," Kristoff grumbled, glaring at his sister over his catering contracts.

"But this music is going to put me to sleep," Tillie whined. "It's boring."

"You agreed to let Anna choose the station," Kristoff said.

"That's when I thought she was going to pick something decent. I can't take these quiet piano hymns another minute. I need Wham! or Mannheim Steamroller."

"I don't mind," Anna said, looking up from her GED study guides. "Tillie can change it if she wants to. It's not that big a deal."

"Yes it is, Anna," Kristoff said. "This is your house, too. You get to listen to the music you like while we get stuff done."

With the older Bjorgman kids in college or getting ready for it, there were plenty of nights spent gathered at the dining room table surrounded by books and notes and whatever music whoever's turn it was to pick decided on playing. It was Anna's turn. Kristoff reviewed accounts, making notes of recipes and supplies they'd need for upcoming parties. Anna was buried up to her eyebrows in her books and taking furious notes. Tillie studied the psychology and counseling books that Rayna had loaned her. Despite having a stellar GPA in high school, Tillie had piddle-farted around in college and could never pick a major. Bulda wasn't about to let her waste her scholarships on something not forwarding her towards a degree, so the super promising student left college to wait tables for her family's catering company while she strove to find herself. Grace Leanna was a different story. She was almost finished with her education degree and was prepping for student teaching in the spring. Adam Carter was knee-deep in biochemistry, hoping to keep his grades up so he can get into USC's medical school. Penny June had finals soon and was studying for her calculus class. She had received early admission to the College of Charleston.

"What are we going to do for the Christmas parade this year?" Grace Leanna spoke up. "We haven't decorated the house yet."

"What's the Christmas parade?" Anna asked. She was greeted with four sets of identical eye blinks.

"The Christmas parade? Only the best thing since the Street Fair," Adam Carter said excitedly. "How have you never heard of the Christmas parade?"

"Anna's never lived here before, Adam," Kristoff reminded him, taking her hand in his under the table. He gave her a reassuring squeeze. "She doesn't know about all the wacky things this town does."

"The parade? The eggnog race? The Tacky Sweater Soirée? The Rudolph sing-along at the theatre?" Adam Carter questioned. Each activity Anna shook her head, glancing around nervously at the wide-eyed Bjorgman kids, minus Tillie and Kristoff. "Burning the Yule Logs? Caroling at the old folks' home? Tell me you've had a Christmas tree."

"Well, umm, my mother..."

"Adam, knock it off," Kristoff said, seeing Anna's discomfort. "Come on sweetheart. Take a break with me?"

"Okay," Anna murmured, tidying up her books and notes before joining Kristoff on the back porch.

"Ow! Dammit Tillie you gotta stop doing that!" Adam Carter whined, rubbing the back of his head where Tillie smacked him after their brother and his girlfriend left the room.

"Well then stop being an idiot! You know Anna's had it rough!" Tillie admonished.

"I know, the last few years. But when she was a kid too?"

Grace Leanna and Tillie nodded. "Her mom had a lot of issues."

Adam frowned, "Wow, that really sucks. Poor Anna," he sighed, but them immediately perked up. "But hey! She gets to experience it all with us now, and it's all new for her. It'll be like our first Christmas with Lucy May, remember?"

"We all had to take turns with her," Penny June recalled. "She was so cute, so excited."

"She was so into it she slept like the dead every night for a month." Grace Leanna added. "It was her first real Christmas after that god awful group home she was in."

"Exactly! Can you imagine, getting to see an Arendelle Christmas for the first time?" Adam Carter grinned. "Lucky girl."

Kristoff held the back door open for Anna, and then gently closed it. Her hunched shoulders and arms wrapped around herself spoke volumes. The moment the door was closed Kristoff opened his arms to her, and she gratefully let him wrap her up and hold her close. She clung to him, struggling to control her breathing, fighting back tears. He simply held her and stroked her hair, giving her all the time she needed.

"I spent every Christmas staring out our attic window at the other houses on the block," her voice trembled when she broke the silence. "Ours was the only house that was dark. I didn't understand why. I asked Mama once when I was six or seven if we could put up lights and get a tree, and she slapped me and sent me to my room. I never asked again. There were no presents, no Santa, nothing."

He kissed her, pressing his lips to her temple and letting them linger, hoping he could ease her pain.

"I spent so many nights alone, sitting in my room, looking up at the stars. They were only thing that was constant in my life. Well, them and pain. But the stars didn't hit, or leave, or judge. I know it's silly, but the stars were the only things that were ever really there for me. Until you. And Temperance Dawn."

"I'll always be here for you, sweetheart," he held her tightly, nuzzling her hair. "Always."

"Thank you, Kristoff," she breathed, soaking in his warmth. He leaned back so he could cup her cheek in a calloused palm. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"What for?"

"For overreacting," she sighed.

"There's no need to apologize, Anna."

"Still, I hope someday I'll stop freaking out over what's probably normal, everyday stuff."

"Well, Christmas does get pretty insane around here. And since this is Tempe's first since..." His face darkened and Anna felt his arms tighten around her

"Hey, someday, when you're ready, you'll tell me," Anna said, touching his cheek. "When the time is right."

He took a deep breath and let it go, and nodded to her. She smiled up at him, eyes bright. "I love you, Kristoff."

"I love you too, Anna. So very much," he said, kissing her.

They were so lost in each other they didn't notice four sets of eyes watching them from the back window. "Put me down for Christmas Eve," Adam Carter said, smiling at the sweet scene playing out on the back porch.

"I have the 21st, the Yule Logs burning in the fireplace will be too romantic a moment to pass up," Penny June grinned.

"Oh I wouldn't be surprised if he asks right right now," Grace Leanna sighed. "Look how adorable they are!"

"Will you guys shut it?" Tillie hissed. "He's going to hear you and make us shut the pool down. I'm counting on that to get Kevin that holster he wants."

* * *

t was Decorating Day, and the Bjorgman Family started early. Everyone pitched in to pull boxes and bins out of the storage shed and the attic. Anna had never seen so many decorations in her whole life. Plastic molded Santas, reindeer, inflatable snow globes, lights of every color and design.

"I ain't gonna tell you boys again!" Pabbie yelled from the roof of the house. "If you don't get your asses up here and help me, I ain't gonna save you from your mama!"

"I think he means it this time, that's a threat you don't want to see come true," Adam Carter said, climbing up the ladder. His boyfriend Travis Ryan was on the ground untangling the mess of wires and cables with Justin Carl and Junebug Carly doing their very best to be helpful and only made the tangles a little bit worse. Kevin somehow got roped into lawn decorations, while Pabbie, Adam Carter and Kristoff were in charge of the rooftop decor. Penny June was already on the roof, staple gun in hand, waiting for the boys to lay the lights. Bulda always fussed about Penny June being on the roof but Pabbie wasn't the kind of dad to segregate his kids into preselected roles. All his girls could change their own oil in their cars, build a bookshelf. If they wanted to learn, he would teach them.

Inside the house Anna and the rest of the Bjorgman family were opening the boxes of Christmas ornaments. Anna had a box marked 'Baby's First Christmases.' She carefully opened it and inside were ornaments with photos of all the kids on their first Christmas holding an ornament with their name and Gotcha Day date stenciled on. Eight year old Tillie grinning a big toothless grin.

"Oh I remember that Christmas," Tillie said. "Mama just told me I was getting a sister in a few weeks. You, Gracie."

Grace Leanna smiled. "And then Adam Carter a few weeks after that."

"It was a busy year," Bulda grinned.

Each photo was the same. Big smiles and tears, faces so full of hope and happiness. Then she found Kristoff's. "Yeah he wasn't too into the whole thing," Tillie said looking over Anna's shoulder. Anna stared at the photo of seventeen-year-old Kristoff. He was slumped over, barely holding up the ornament with his name. He wasn't looking at the camera that caught the sour expression on his face.

"But he found his Christmas spirit eventually," Bulda said, looking over at Temperance Dawn with a slight smile.

Anna picked up the next one and saw a completely different person. He was probably 21, holding a tiny 5-month-old Temperance Dawn up on her toes, her little baby fist in her mouth chewing on her daddy's finger, her ornament hanging from his fingers. His smile was one she had seen so rarely, and only with Temperance Dawn until the day he shared it with her. How she wished she could have a photo like that with their children. Her hand went sadly to her empty belly.

"Hey, no melancholy faces on Decorating Day," Tillie teased. "It's a happy time."

For you, maybe. Anna took a breath and put the sadness to the side for now. This was her first real Christmas, with a family she could call her own, and she was going to enjoy every single bit of it. So she put on a happy face and turned to look at the massive live pine tree in the center of the living room. "Where do we start?"

"Lights!" Stephen Michael said, grinning his gap-toothed grin under a tangle of twinkling lights.

Temperance Dawn was caught up in the tangle as well. "We're helping, Grandma," she said proudly.

"You're something else, that's for sure," Bulda sighed in mock exasperation at her two littlest ones. She and Anna untangled them, then had them hold their hands out to wrap the straightened lines of cord around like yarn. "There, now that that's done, you two get to stringing the popcorn. Have Miss Anna help you."

"C'mon, Mommy! This is the important part," Temperance Dawn said seriously, taking her hand and pulling her over to her coloring table, where Stephen Michael already had the big bowl of popcorn, thread, and needles.

"I've never done this before," Anna said. "Can you show me how?" Both children lit up brighter than the Christmas lights, then fell all over themselves showing Anna the correct way to string popcorn, and how many pieces you had to string before you could sneak a piece to eat.

Bulda smiled fondly at them, then turned to Lucy May and the lights. "Let's get those on the tree, sweet girl."

"Mommy?" Lucy May looked up at Bulda, a slight smile on her angel face. "Is Miss Anna going to be our new sister this year?"

Bulda hugged her daughter, "You never know. This is the season of miracles, sweet girl. You gotta have faith."

* * *

The first Friday in December was when Arendelle officially kicked off the Christmas season by lighting their big tree in the center of town. It was a big to-do, with everyone bringing small bags of homemade goodies to share with their neighbors. The Bjorgmans always brought extra, as their treats were well known and adored. Anna made trays of petits fours and Jillian Sanderson came over and nearly pulled Anna all over the square, introducing her to all her friends.

The whole family fought for position to be in front. Bulda had the twins in each hand, while Stephen Michael sat on Pabbie's shoulders. Penny June had Lucy May on her back the little girl nearly reaching sleep, and the elders all stood close to their significant others. Anna held Temperance Dawn in her arms and Kristoff stood behind them, his arms wrapped around them both. "Do you want to sit on Kristoff's shoulders, Papillon? You'll see better."

"No thank you Mommy. I like it here 'cuz I get double hugs."

Anna smiled, and felt Kristoff's arms tighten around them. Last Christmas he wouldn't leave the house for anything but work or to talk to the police. With Temperance Dawn gone, taken by her bitch of a mother to god knows where, Christmas was the last thing on his mind. But here, with Anna and his baby girl both safely in his arms, he finally felt that Christmas spirit that Bulda was always going on about. He didn't even mind the dopey, knowing grins his family kept giving him.

"It's almost time!" Bulda cheered. "Y'all get ready to count down!"

"Three...two...one..." and the tree exploded with light and color as the townfolk cheered. The twinkling lights shone on the upturned faces of the family, and the smiles and wonder on Anna and Temperance Dawn's face shone brighter than the lights on the trees. Temperance Dawn was cheering so loudly Kristoff nearly missed Anna whispering.

"The lights...They're like the stars."

"Your stars, sweetheart," he kissed her temple.

A few feet away Grace Leanna had the camera out and caught the sweet embrace shared between her brother and best friend. "Gotcha!" she whispered.

* * *

The next several days were beyond hectic. There was always something needing to be done. Tillie and Grace Leanna drug Anna to the fruitcake carving party at the senior center, the White Elephant party at Haven, and she drug them all to Temperance Dawn's class pageant. Between all that, the chaos of catered Christmas parties, and just trying to get time alone (because they refused to sacrifice their dates with Temperance Dawn), both Anna and Kristoff were getting grouchy. And even when they DID find some time alone, they were both busy with everything that had to get done.

Like now. Anna found herself alone in the kitchen at the mansion, making pies with Kristoff. She cut and rolled the dough while he cleaned and pitted cherries for the filling. The senior center was having a pie auction for the children's home and, of course being who the Bjorgman's are, they eagerly agreed to make pies for the event. It had been nearly two weeks since they had a chance to be alone together, which was the day Grace Leanna watched Temperance Dawn and let them go shopping. They slept together that evening, but not in the sense that Tillie was sleeping with Kevin. It wasn't a race, she knew that, but she was still frustrated with herself and her trepidation. Kristoff wasn't. He was incredibly patient with her every step of the way, and he was always there to catch her when she faltered, or when she leaped too far. That night his kind and gentle hands gave her the first pleasure she had ever been given, and she in turn had gave it back, willingly. Something awoke deep inside her, something deliciously hot and urgent, and she was longing for Kristoff, longing for him in ways she didn't fully understand and never felt before. She needed to be closer to him, to feel his hands on her, the way they had that night. She longed to give herself to him, to be with him, and that longing slowly burned away her fears.

The radio was set to Anna's station, a string ensemble was playing a medley of Christmas standards. Kristoff wouldn't have it any other way; he loved hearing Anna hum along to the music, and move as if she were dancing. He set the bowl of cherries aside and turned to his girlfriend, "Anna? Dance with me?" he asked, holding out his cherry-stained hands.

She smiled and wiped her flour-covered hands on her apron and gratefully walked into his open arms. He held her close as they swayed to the music, her head resting on his broad chest. He could feel the tension in her shoulders melt away beneath his fingers. He held her tightly, the ring box in his chef's coat pocket, burning a hole. He was waiting for the best time to ask, but didn't want to pressure her. He loved her and wanted her more than he ever wanted anyone in his life, and he wanted it to be perfect for her. She smiled up at him. "You have cherry juice on your face," she teased him.

"And you have cinnamon on yours," he teased back. "No, wait, that's just your freckles."

She laughed, and he kissed her nose. She blinked, and he watched her eyes darken and flood with want. She pressed for more, and he eagerly gave. He'd not held her like this, kissed her like this, in nearly two weeks, and he was desperate for her touch. She nipped at his lower lip and moaned when he parted his lips for her, and it was all he could do not to lift her onto the table and lose himself in her. He'd had more fantasies involving her and his kitchen than he had a right to, and not just for health code reasons. But there they were, her hands tangled in his hair, her body pressed tightly against his, his self-control evaporating like mist caught up in her fire.

The timer on the oven buzzed, breaking the spell between them. He rested his head against hers and struggled to get his breathing back under control. He kissed her nose again, and had to smile at the almost mutinous look on her face. Well, a little frustration never hurt anyone.

Sighing, he let go of her and went to pull the pies out of the oven. Once they were on the cooling rack he turned to go back to his prep station, only to find Anna in front of him. She grabbed fistfuls of his chef's coat and pulled him down for another breath-stealing kiss. He flicked his wrists, sending the oven mitts flying, and this time he did pick her up, looping his hands under her thighs and wrapping her legs around his waist. He was too distracted by her mouth on his to think of any place to take her other than the counter. She didn't seem to mind; she was more interested in wrenching his coat open and nipping at his collarbones. He was pulling at the strings on the back of her apron when he heard the familiar rattle of Pabbie's truck engine outside. He groaned in dismay, but when a disgruntled curse slipped out of Anna's beautiful lips his brain clouded and he kissed her, hard and desperate. It took the sound of the truck door slamming shut to pull them apart. "Later?" he gasped against her lips.

"Sooner," she panted, and he gave her one last mind-numbing kiss before backing away and letting her hop down. He rebuttoned his coat as she straightened her apron, and when her kiss-stung lips curled into a smile as she walked back to her prep station, he stared at her swaying hips and thought very disrespectful thoughts about his father's timing. Definitely sooner, he thought.

* * *

Temperance Dawn insisted that Anna stay at the house Christmas Eve after dinner. She didn't want her mommy to be alone on Christmas morning. The whole family sat around their tree and exchanged one gift each. All the younger kids, Lucy May, Junebug Carly, Justin Carl, Stephen Michael, and Temperance Dawn all received new picture books from Bulda and Pabbie. Kristoff gave everyone the socks he and Anna bought on their day off. Grace Leanna and Tillie gave each other the same book on Kama Sutra, which they promptly had to hide from the little kids. Kristoff slipped a small box onto Anna's lap and ignored the excited looks on his siblings faces. Grace Leanna and Tillie excitedly tapped each others thighs.

"Sweetheart this is from Temperance and I," he said. Temperance Dawn crawled over to Anna's lap and curled up in it while Anna opened her first real Christmas present in forever. She pulled off the pink ribbon and opened the box. A heart shaped silver locket was sitting on a bed of white velvet and organza fabric.

"Damn it," Tillie mutters, her excitement gone. The others share a similar slight resentment. Waiting for their brother to propose was worse than waiting for Santa.

"Oh Papillon it's so pretty," Anna said, kissing her daughter on the top of the head. "Did you help Kristoff pick it out?"

"I did Mommy," Temperance Dawn said. "Open it up."

Anna did as instructed. She opened the silver locket and held it in her hand. Inside were the faces of the two people she loved most in the world. Kristoff on the left and Temperance Dawn on the right. "Help me put it on?"

"Of course Anna," Kristoff said, draping the delicate chain around her neck. The silver locket glowed in the light from the tree lights and the fireplace. Temperance Dawn was the first to yawn, resting her head in the crook of Anna's neck.

"Story now Grandpa?" she asked, sleepy eyes drooping.

"Yeah Daddy!" Junebug Carly exclaimed. "You have to read it. You're the best at it."

Pabbie dug out a worn and well loved copy of _The Polar Express_. He opened it and began to read. All eyes were on the older man as he read. Tillie mouthed along, having heard this story every year for as long as she could remember. Anna laid her head on Kristoff's shoulder, listening to Pabbie's rich timbre fill the room. Her daughter in her lap, her fingers tracing the locket hanging between her breasts. When Pabbie was finished Stephen Michael, being on Pabbie's lap at the time got to ring the Christmas bell. It had to be replaced over the years but everyone could hear the bell ringing. As all who believe.

"To bed with you," Bulda said, pointing to the stairs. "Santa comes to those who sleep soundly."

Grumbles from everyone minus Temperance Dawn who was sound asleep on Anna's lap. Together they took her up to bed and tucked her in. " _Have yourself a merry little Christmas_ ," Anna sang to her child as she tucked the blankets up under her chin. " _Let your heart be light. From now on our troubles will be out of sight._ "

"I love you Mommy and Daddy," Temperance Dawn whispered, sleep taking her.

"We love you more Papillon," Anna said kissing her cheek. "So very much."

Kristoff took Anna's hand and led her back downstairs to join the older members of the family, who were pulling out mattresses and blankets so everyone would have a cozy place to sleep. They declined a late night drink and went out on the back porch instead. He wrapped his arms around her, standing behind her, gazing up at the night sky with her.

"What do you think of Christmas so far, sweetheart?"

She sighed and leaned into his embrace, "Oh Kristoff, it's amazing! It's everything I hoped it would be and more. It's beyond what I dreamed about as a kid."

"I'm glad," he held her close, savoring her happiness. Her fingers lightly traced the locket around her neck. "Temperance picked it out all by herself, y'know. She wanted to get you something pretty," Kristoff said. "She wanted you to be happy."

"I am, Kristoff. I love everything. I thought everything was going to be so overwhelming, but everyone has been so kind and wonderful. Promise me it'll always be like this?"

"I promise," he kissed her temple. "Come on, let's go to bed, else Santa won't come visit us."

They walked hand-in-hand across the yard. Kristoff pulled open the door to the trailer and let Anna be the first inside. Once inside she slipped her cardigan off and draped it over the bench seat. Sitting on the table were two wrapped boxes, one rectangular in green paper and one small square in dainty white and gold. "Anna, what are those?"

"Yours and Temperance Dawn's Christmas presents from me," Anna said, smiling shyly. "I want you to have yours now, if that's ok?"

"Sure, if you'd like. Thank you," he smiled back.

He pulled on the ribbon and gasped upon opening his gift. Inside was a new professional chef's coat, crisp white and neatly pressed, with his name and the company's logo on the breast. "Anna this is great," he breathed with wonder. "Where did you...?"

"I found a company online and ordered it for you," Anna said, twisting her fingers in front of her nervously. "Do you like it?"

"Sweetheart, I love it," Kristoff beamed. He pulled her into his arms and spun her around. "I could kiss you!"

"Well, why don't you?" she giggled. So he did, a sweet soft kiss filled with gratitude and love.

He pulled back and smiled down at her. "Thank you, Anna. Don't take this the wrong way, but I kinda know how much these kind of jackets can run. How did you...?"

"Well," she looked away, a faint blush staining her cheeks. "I used the money I used to put away in case I ever had to run again," Anna said. "I had almost two hundred dollars hidden away. I used it all to get your jacket and a music box for Temperance Dawn. I'm never leaving again."

Kristoff gaped at her, eyes wide and so full of hope her heart melted. "You mean it? No more running?"

"No more running," she smiled as she looked into his honey brown eyes.

He looked at her with so much love in his eyes he couldn't contain it. "That's the best present I could get from you," he breathed. "Um, I mean I love the coat, of course," he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "It's perfect, and so thoughtful of you, and Tempe's music box is precious, and I know she'll love it, and..."

"Kristoff?" she giggled, interrupting his ramble with a warm hand on his stubbled cheek.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

He leaned into her palm and smiled. It was that smile she loved so much, the one she saw so rarely, and usually only for Temperance Dawn. It was so pure and perfect she didn't want it to end. She reached up to brush his lips with hers in a feather-light kiss, and whispered "I love you," once more.

He leaned down to return her kiss, holding her close. He brought his hands up and buried his fingers in her hair, cradling her head in his palms, tilting her ever so gently to the side so he could tease her eager lips with the tip of his tongue and, once she parted them, deepen their kiss. He couldn't hold back the longing that rumbled out of his chest, couldn't help but tremble when she moaned in return. Soft and sweet kisses quickly gave way to urgent and hungry caresses. His hands drifted down her neck, shoulders, and back, pulling her in as close as possible. She trailed her fingers down his biceps, digging in with her nails before bringing her hands to the open collar of his button-down shirt. "Please? Kristoff, I need..."

He nodded quickly before capturing her mouth again in a searing hot kiss. She slipped the first smooth button through it's hole, and worked her way down his chest with agonizing slowness. He almost growled in frustration, and then he smiled against her lips before breaking off and trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along her neck, nipping at the tender skin just behind her ear they way he knew she loved. Her soft moans only goaded him to wander down the column of her neck and latch onto the hammering pulse point at the base of her throat.

She pressed into him hard, desperate for his touch. She yanked his undershirt up and out of the way so her hands could drink up his skin. He groaned against the hollow of her throat, and his hands settled on the zipper pull of her dress. "Take it off," she whispered. "Please, Kristoff..."

He stood back up to kiss her again, softer this time. His fingers clasped the tiny zipper and slowly pulled it down. Part of him wanted to yank it down and shove the dress aside, but he knew better. He loved and respected her too much to betray her trust, and he remembered all too well the last times they were this close to each other in his trailer. He definitely did not want to frighten her, and he swore once again that he would never hurt her.

She brought his hands up to her shoulders, and he gently nudged the dress off. It pooled at her feet, leaving her in nothing but a simple pink slip. His hands rested on her hips, his thumbs caressing her waist through the smooth fabric of her slip. He rested his forehead against hers, aching to melt into her and drown in her softness, but waiting for her to make the next move.

She was quiet for a moment, forming her next words carefully. "Kristoff, I want to try... I want to do something for you."

"Anything, Anna," he whispered, his gaze locked on her lips. "What is it?"

"I want to suck you...Your cock," Anna said, not taking her eyes off of him. "May I?"

His eyes widened and darkened with barely-contained lust. "Are you sure, sweetheart? You don't have to," Kristoff said softly. God, the way her lips wrapped around those words... "I know what he used to make you do. I didn't think you'd ever want to..."

"I want to," she said simply. "You're not him. I love you, and I know you love me and won't hurt me or push me to go farther than I want," Anna said softly, placing her hand over his heart. "When you tasted me, I never felt anything so amazing before in my whole life. I want to try and give you that same pleasure. Please, Kristoff? I want you."

"O-Okay," he stuttered. "But Anna, I don't want you on your knees with me towering over you," Kristoff murmured, holding her face in his hands. "We're equal in this, Anna. I love you and I won't use you. You're my princess."

"I know you won't," Anna said, grinning eagerly up at him "Hold my hand?"

"Always."

He took her hand and led her over to his bed. He helped her to remove his pants, leaving him in only his white undershirt. He laid back on his bed, leaning up against the wall. "Come here, sweetheart." She climbed into the bed with him, aligning herself alongside him so she could touch as much of him as possible, and kissed him slowly, but with a growing heat that had the hands caressing her curves clutch her tightly.

Anna broke the kiss and gazed at him, searching his face. She saw nothing but boundless love and a deep, burning need. He needed her, and that realization stoked the fire burning in her own belly. She cupped his face and kissed him again before following her hands as they ghosted down his body.

Kristoff watched her intently as she knelt between his knees, taking his growing hardness in her small hands, her pink slip bunching up around her hips. He groaned sharply as her nimble fingers gripped him, stroking, her soft hands touching him like she had so many weeks ago in her cottage. He grabbed fistfuls of the bedsheets, trembling with pent-up want. She looked intently at him in her hands, and good god she licked her lips.

"I love you, Anna," he whispered. He hissed sharply when her soft mouth covered him. "Oh God, Anna..."

She threaded her left hand through his and held tight. She teased him with her tongue, swirling it around him before taking him fully into her mouth. She bobbed her head up and down on him, softly, tenderly, using her other hand to stroke him. Kristoff groaned and pulled his free hand through his hair, cursing softly. Her mouth felt so sweet on him, it was all he could do to restrain himself. He knew better than to put his hand on her head or make her feel like she was trapped or he was taking from her. He had to suppress his urge to move his hips, to thrust at all, to startle her or make her take more than she was willing. He laid still, allowing Anna to set the pace of their lovemaking.

She stopped, sat up at looked up at him, confused, tears in her eyes. "Kristoff..." Anna whispered. "Is everything...? Am I...?"

"Wha..?" he blinked, dazed from all the amazing things she was doing to him. One look at her distraught face had him sitting up to cup her cheek. "Oh sweetheart, no. God, no," he said, tenderly. "Everything's great. Amazing. Perfect! I love you and what you're doing is, oh God sweetheart it's amazing!"

"Y-you like it?" she smiled timidly.

He nodded vigorously, and the slow smile that spread across her beautiful face made his gut clench. "God, Anna, yes! Yes! I, well, is it, um, I mean are you..."

Her hand circled around his girth again, stroking softly, and his eyes fluttered shut. She took him back into her mouth, and he collapsed back against the wall with a strangled moan. "Oh Princess," Kristoff moaned. "God, Anna. Baby..."

His encouragement and obvious enjoyment gave Anna the courage to continue. She pressed a kiss to the top of his cock and slowly lowered her mouth down him again and again. He held her hand tightly and leaned his head back, moaning as she sucked him. He would savor this moment for as long as he could, but he didn't know how much longer he could hold on. He watched her, entranced, completely at her mercy. Her soft mouth on him, hot and wet, her loose red hair tucked over her shoulder, the smattering of her sexy freckles dusted across her skin, glowing in the lamplight of his trailer. God how he loved her.

Anna focused on her movements, loving the feel of him in her mouth. She loved how Kristoff allowed her the freedom to explore him on her own, to learn his body for herself and not be forced to take him. His grunts and moans weren't controlling or aggressive, but loving and caring. She could feel him tensing up, he was going to cum. She sat up and looked him in the eye, nipping gently at his lips as she coaxed him over the edge.

Kristoff cried out, "Oh god, Anna!"

"Merry Christmas my prince," Anna whispered into his ear. "I love you so much."

When he came down he spent the rest of the night worshiping her, using his hands and his mouth to send her spiraling over and over again over the edge, until they collapsed together in a tangle of sweat-slicked limbs, wild hair, and racing hearts. Sleep caught her first, and he lovingly traced her lovely face with his fingertips. That crease he once saw in her sleeping brow was gone. She finally found peace in slumber. He curled himself around her and held her close, guarding her dreams as he slept.

* * *

"It's Christmas Mommy! Daddy! Get up! Get up! Get Up!" Temperance Dawn exclaimed bouncing on Kristoff and Anna. "Grandma said she's not holding breakfast."

"Temperance Dawn, please stop jumping on the bed and go open your present from Anna," Kristoff mumbled, pulling his love closer to him.

"But Daddy, it's Christmas."

Groaning playfully, Kristoff sat up, making sure to keep Anna covered until she could get into one of his shirts. She wasn't kidding, she had more of his flannels now than he did. They got out of bed and curled up together on the floor, handing Temperance Dawn her Christmas present from Anna. Temperance Dawn couldn't sit still she kept going back and forth between Anna and Kristoff unable to contain her joy. She manages to sit still long enough to open her present from Anna. She opens the box and the ceramic butterfly floated above the purple velvet.

"Oh Mommy! It's so pretty!" She listened for a moment the tune playing. "It's our song, Mommy! It's our song!" Temperance Dawn throws her arms around Anna's neck kissing her face all over. "I love it Mommy! I love you. And I love you too Daddy." She crawled into his lap and whispered in his ear. "Thank you for finding me a good mommy, Daddy. I love her so much."

"Hey guess what?" Kristoff whispered back, both of them looking at Anna. "I do too."

* * *

"Oh my God, I think it's finally happening!" Tillie shouted, upon spotting her brother and best friend out on the dock. It was a few days after New Year's, and pretty much the only people left in the Proposal Pool were Lucy May and Pabbie. Kristoff and Anna disappeared shortly after lunch, walking in Bulda's winter-brown garden and enjoying the gentle warmth of the day. Kristoff looked equal parts determined and scared the whole morning, but it all evaporated when her gaze caught his, and he couldn't help but smile at her like a lovesick fool. "I think he's really gonna do it this time!" Tillie crowed with glee. Thundering feet pounded down the stairs as the siblings and parents jockeyed for position at the window to watch Kristoff propose to the love of his life. Grace Leanna and Tillie had their phones out to record the moment.

Anna's back was to Kristoff as she stared out at the water. He took the ring out of his pocket where he had kept it for weeks. He ran is fingers through his hair, smoothing out any stray hairs. He could do this. No pressure, it's just the love of his life and the promise of forever. God, he wanted forever with her. He could do this. He dropped to one knee and held out the ring with a tremulous smile.

"Oh, I hope he washed his face," Bulda fussed, holding her granddaughter up so she could see too.

"Anna?" Kristoff said softly, getting her attention. She turned and gasped, eyes wide, heart pounding in her chest. "Anna Marcie Delano, sweetheart, my princess, I kneel before you an imperfect man. I don't have much to offer you but I can offer you unconditional love, devotion, compassion, understanding..."

"Kristoff..." Anna struggled to get out, hands rising to cover her mouth, tears pooling in her eyes, trickling down her face.

"Please, I've been trying for weeks to say this, so let me get this all out," Kristoff asked, holding his hand out for her. "You are my northern star, my lighthouse. Please do me the greatest...Anna?" he looked at her closely, concern etched his face when he saw the terror in her eyes.

"Kristoff I... I... I c-can't. No, I'm sorry, I can't, I... I'm sorry," she cried and turned to run down the dock and away from him, breaking the one promise she made to him.

"Oh fuck..." Tillie whispered, killing the video.

 _No, not again_ , Kristoff tripped standing up and took off after her, fear and worry for her churning in his gut. "Anna! Anna, where are you going? Stop, please! Talk to me!" His long legs quickly caught up to her at the end of the dock and he grasped her elbow gently, only to make her stop, not to hut her or control her. She stopped, so he let go. "Anna? Princess, please?"

"Kristoff, I can't do this to you! I love you too much to ruin your life with the likes of me," Anna sobbed, her arms around herself, breath ragged, struggling to calm down. "Just let me go."

"I won't do that and you know it. Talk to me, please?" he begged. "Sweetheart, I love you. Don't run."

Anna shook from fear. Not of him, but of what was playing out in her head. It took all she had to focus her thoughts on her Calm. Cakes. Amazing Grace. Lilies. Matilda Louise. Cakes, Amazing Grace, Lilies, Matilda Louise. Cakes... "Kristoff, I'm not good enough for you. You don't want to really..."

"Dammit, Anna, that's not you talking. That's the fear. Don't let it win. This isn't you anymore! Anna, sweetheart, talk to me. What's going on in your head? I can't help you if you don't talk to me." His pleading brown eyes begged her to stay. To come back to him. "Please, Princess, I love you. I need you just as much as you need me. Talk to me. Let me in."

She stopped and looked down, ashamed. "I said I wouldn't run, and I ran. I promised I wouldn't run ever again, and I... Oh god..." She shuddered and turned away, sobbing harder. "Oh my god. I can't even keep a simple promise to you. I don't understand why you even bother."

He didn't know when he started crying too, but he dashed his tears away and focused wholly on Anna. "Do you remember what I said, that time we sat together here on the dock back in August?" Kristoff asked, taking a step closer to her, wanting to hold her and make her pain go away. "When you came back to me after..."

"That you would come for me if I ran," Anna whispered, her back to him. "You'll come for me."

"And I will. I always will, no matter what. You're human, Anna. You make mistakes. Hell, I make them constantly. But I'll always be here for you. I will always come for you." He brushed his fingers across her back, and when she didn't flinch he placed his palm on her shoulder, hoping the warmth of his hand would comfort her. "Anna... you don't have to say yes if you're not ready. You don't have to say yes even if you are ready. You're it for me. I love you. And above everything I want you to be happy. Whatever it takes, I just want you to be happy."

Anna turned to face Kristoff, tears dripping from her big blue eyes. She could see the tears in his eyes, and it wounded something deep inside her. She reached up and cupped his face in her tiny hands. "I don't mean to hurt you like this," she whispered, brows drawn in anguish. "I never meant to hurt you."

"And I didn't mean to make you afraid," he replied as he took her in his arms, holding her to his chest.

"I'm never afraid of you, Kristoff."

"And I'm not hurt. Talk to me, sweetheart. Please, let me in." She cried into his chest, her arms clinging to him for dear life.

He waited for her, patient as the mountains. She really didn't deserve him, but he deserved her honesty. "These last few months have been the happiest of my entire life," she murmured. "Loving you, loving Temperance Dawn, has shown me what real love truly is. But I can't shake the feeling that it's all a dream. That it'll get yanked away from me, like everything else I've ever loved. That I'll lose you, like I've lost everyone. And that it'll be my fault, like it always is."

She trembled in his embrace, and he soothed his hands through her hair, letting her talk. "I know it's wrong, and I know it's all in my head, but I can't get those voices to go away. I've been fighting them for so long, and the happier I am the louder they scream at me." She took a breath and looked up at the love of her life. The only man she'd ever wanted. "So when you offered me a lifetime of love, true honest soul-deep love with you, the man I love more than my own life, I..." her breath shuddered in her chest, "I couldn't shut them up," she whimpered.

"Anna," he brought his hands up to cup her face, wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "I suck at words. Talking has never been my thing. Acting and doing, that's me. I'm just me, but I love you with all that I am and all that I ever will be. All this pain that you feel, all the lies those voices tell you, it's not real. Right here, now, let this moment be real. I'm here and I am not going anywhere. Anna, you took the broken pieces of me and made me whole again. I was convinced I'd never heal, but you eased my pain. And now, and for the rest of my life, I want to unbreak you too. My heart is whole because of you, and it will always be yours no matter what."

"I don't understand," Anna whispered, covering his hands with hers. "Why do you put up with me?"

"I don't put up with you, sweetheart, I love you!" he said, voice low and filled with unflappable resolve. "I don't want to face this world without you at my side. The only person I want raising Temperance Dawn with me is you. You are my northern star, and I am lost without you. But, this isn't about me. It's about you. About us. What do you want, my love? What can I do to ease your pain, to silence those voices, to make you happy? Whatever it is, tell me and I'll do it."

"Marry me."

"Wait, what?" he blinked, not sure he heard that right. "What did you say?"

"Marry me, Kristoff," Anna took a deep breath, then she looked him in the eye. "Take me as your wife. As your wife, I know I will never know pain, hunger, fear or darkness. As your wife, my world will be filled with light, trust, love, and honesty. I want to trust myself, to be the kind of woman you deserve. Be the kind of mother Temperance Dawn needs. And when I can't trust myself, I know I can trust in you. To trust in us." She looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "I love you, Kristoff. I love you so much. If you'll have me, broken as I am, marry me."

"Oh Anna," Kristoff sighed, holding her tight to his chest, happy tears running down his face. "I love you so much. Can I finish my proposal?"

"Please," Anna whispered.

"Anna Marcie Delano," he whispered, tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear. "Would you do me the greatest honor and be my wife?"

"Kristoff Alastair Bjorgman, I will. I will be your wife. I'd be so proud to be your wife." And when he smiled at her, that warm, open smile she so rarely saw but knew it came straight from his heart, her happy tears fell too. He slipped the silver ring onto her hand and picked her up, twirled her around, the both of them laughing with delight.

Her feet touched down on the dock, but she could swear she stood on a cloud. "Kiss me?" She rested her forehead against his.

"I may never stop, Princess." And he didn't. He wrapped his arms around her, lips crashing together. Applause and cheers from the peanut gallery wafted over them.

"Mommy? Do I win the pool now?" Lucy May asked.

"I think you do, little one," Bulda grinned, hugging both her and Temperance Dawn close. "I think you do."

* * *

"Okay, Tempe, you be good for Grandma tonight, okay?" Kristoff said, squatting down in front of his little girl. "I don't know if Miss Anna and I will be home when you wake up, so you're going to have to be okay with that."

"I will Daddy," Temperance Dawn said. "Lucy May promised to share her new glitter crayons with me. You and Mommy have a good time. I'll miss you."

"We will too, sunshine" Kristoff kissed her.

Anna packed up their picnic basket with thermoses of soup and coffee, sandwiches, strawberries, a bottle of merlot and chocolate. She carefully wrapped everything, catching her engagement ring in the low light. She smiled softly down at it, still awestruck. It'd been two days since he slipped it on her finger, the rough-cut diamond set in sliver a perfect expression of their love. The imperfect stone to remind them that what they want most in each other is precious despite the imperfections. That they need their imperfections to be whole. That imperfections are beautiful. Tillie walked into the kitchen and dropped a small box into Anna's basket.

"Tillie, what the hell do I need those for?" Anna questioned, holding up the box of condoms. "I can't get pregnant and we're both clean."

"I'm just teasing, Anna, and it never hurts to be prepared for any eventuality." Anna gave her a flat look. "That and I'm just checking to make sure you were paying attention. Now gimmee," Tillie snatched them back. "I need those anyway. Take this instead." Tillie handed her best friend a tub of shea butter body lotion. "You know, to soften the scars."

"Tillie, you are something else, you know that?"

"What?" she grinned with feigned innocence. "Don't you need it?"

"I already have some, actually."

Tillie's jaw dropped and she looked like she was going to hit the floor. A hand to her heart she smiled at her best friend. "Remember when any talk about you and my brother would make you shy away? Now you're making jokes about it. You've been hanging out with me for too long," she laughed.

Outside, Kristoff tossed a few of the spare mattresses the family had in case of emergency placements into the bed of his truck. Blankets, towels, extra pillows, a lantern and his star charts. Anna loved the stars, and had never gotten to see a meteor shower before. Her mother never let her out of the house once the sun had gone down and that asshole only told her that they were stupid she was stupid for wasting her time on them. The Quadrantids were supposed to peak tonight, so he was planning on making it the most romantic night for her, eager to make his fiancée happy. His fiancée... He wanted to give her a special night, to see her bathed in starlight, to see her face light up brighter than the stars. To hold her close while the stars fell around them.

"Sweetheart, you ready to go?" Kristoff called into the kitchen. He had to stop and just stare at her. Her hair practically glowed, framing her face with soft ginger waves. The ends curled, brushing against her shoulders. She was wearing a long pink dress, almost the exact same dress she wore to the cabaret. Only this one was in baby pink and had cap sleeves. She had a white cardigan on and her face had light traces of makeup that enhanced her unique beauty. And her engagement ring and the silver locket. She was never without the locket these days. "Princess, you look amazing!"

"Thank you," Anna said with a slight smile. "It's not too much is it? For star gazing at the beach?"

"Not at all. It's perfect because it's you."

Temperance Dawn skipped over and gave them both a big hug before Lucy May grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the coloring table. Smiling, they walk hand-in-hand out of the house and to his truck. He opened the door for her and held her hand as she slid into the seat, the picnic basket resting at her feet. He caressed her cheek. "I love you, sweetheart"

"I know. I love you, too," she grinned, leaning into his palm.

The drive to the beach was quiet yet comfortable. Anna chose the classic rock station he liked, then scooted over on the bench seat to lean against his shoulder. He held her hand as he drove, careful to keep his eyes on the road.

The sun was setting by the time they arrived. She smiled when she saw that it was their spot on the beach, the same place he took her when they came with Temperance Dawn, but this time he pulled his truck further out onto the sand. This late in the day, this time of the year, they had the entire beach to themselves. They walked back and forth along the surf, the water warm against their bare feet. Anna held tight to his hand, only letting go when he looped a burly arm around her shoulders. They talked of happy things: Temperance Dawn's school, the deluge of high tea parties the Catering business had coming up thanks to her popular petits fours, her memories of stargazing from the attic with an astronomy book her sister snuck out of the house and got her from the Library when she was nine. She did most of the talking, and he drank up her words like they were the finest of wines.

They made their way back to the pick-up to look out over the retreating tide. He leaned against the tailgate and gathered her into his arms, her back snug against his chest, his arms wrapped warmly around her, his nose buried in her hair. They stood together in silence until the dying light of the setting sun faded behind them, and the ocean before them mirrored the midnight blue of the winter sky. "I love you, Anna," he murmured. He took a deep breath, softly resting his chin on her head. She squeezed his forearms, where her hands rested. "I'm ready to tell you now, about last year. About the kidnapping."

"Are you sure?" she asked, leaning into his embrace to offer comfort.

"I'm sure," he breathed, holding her close. "I don't want any secrets between us anymore. You deserve to know the truth, about the past. About me."

She turned in his arms and gazed up at him, eyes brimming with love and compassion.

"It won't be easy," he warned. "It's not a happy story."

"I know," she murmured. "I'm here for you, Kristoff. Always."

Kristoff smiled in gratitude, the looked up. "Miranda Lynn tried to kidnap Tempe twice before she finally succeeded," he said, his gaze fixed on the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.

"She tried before?"

"Yes. The first time she tried was at the park when Temperance was with Tillie and Grace. We called the police, but all they did was give her a warning. The second time about a month she tried to pick her up from preschool. I spent the next day at the school, filling out paperwork, warning all of the teachers. Three maybe four days later I was in the house getting her a juice box when I heard her scream and tires squealing." He was silent for a moment, eyes closed. "I still hear her scream, in my nightmares. Screaming for me."

Anna moved closer and rested her head on his chest, winding her arms around his waist. He held her close, soothed by her closeness. "She grabbed her and jumped into a car that her crackhead of a boyfriend was driving. I ran after them for as long as I could. I felt like my heart and lungs would explode, but I kept on running. I memorized everything I could about the car, the driver, what Temperance was wearing that day. When I lost sight of the car, I fell to my knees, screaming for my daughter. I wanted to die." Visions of nights spent on the phone, begging anyone who would listen to help him get Temperance Dawn back. Flipping tables at the police station because there was nothing they could do if Miranda Lynn didn't want to be found. Cussing out every cop in Arendelle, going back to the house and punching a hole in Bulda's living room wall, scaring the crap out Lucy May and the twins.

Anna stood silent, not sure what to say. His shoulders start shaking and he turned away from her. She dropped the tailgate and took his hand, climbing into the back. He joined her, sitting propped up on pillows against the back of the cab. Anna sat beside him, her head resting against his shoulder, both of her hands cradling his.

"I called the police, the FBI, missing children's groups, anyone who could help me get her back. They tried, but every day felt like ten years of slow torture," he said. Anna ran her fingers over his knuckles, feeling the scars that likely came from venting his frustration. "I called all of Miranda Lynn's friends and family, begging them, pleading with them to turn her in. But no one would help me. Her friends said it was my own fault that I shouldn't have kept Tempe from Miranda Lynn. Mama and Pabbie took a loan out against the company to put up a reward for information about her whereabouts. We did posters, flyers, milk cartons, anything. But nothing worked. No one would help us."

"I would have. If I had been here," Anna said, holding his hand. "Kristoff, you did what you could. It wasn't your fault," she said softly.

"For six months I barely slept, barely ate. If I worked at all, my money went to finding her. I was the worst person in the world. What friends I did have I drove away with my single focus on getting Temperance back. Most of the family were frightened of me. If I even got close to Lucy May she would start sobbing. As you've probably figured out, Lucy May is our special case. It broke my heart that I was hurting her. There wasn't enough wood in the state to chop to get rid of my anger." He gripped her tiny hands in his. "You would've run so fast if you had come sooner than you did. There was nothing lovable about me."

Anna crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her tight to him, accepting her comfort, letting her warmth seep into the cold, dark places in his soul left raw and festering by his ordeal. She leaned back far enough to watch his face, to see the anguish in his eyes. She traced his brows and cheekbones with her fingers, desperate for anything that would soothe his pain. "How did you finally get her back?" she asked.

"A cashier at a Walmart in Chattanooga, Tennessee," Kristoff said. "And Pauline Collingsworth, Miranda's great-aunt outside Birmingham. Just before Christmas I made one more televised plea to Miranda's family and friends asking them if they had any information about their whereabouts to contact my agent with the FBI, the Arendelle police department or a designated cell phone I carried with at all times. Mrs. Collingsworth called me up after Christmas saying that Miranda was there, strung out on something nasty, with my little girl with her. She took them in, mainly for Temperance's sake. Miranda was sleeping off whatever junk she had in her system, so she got Tempe got on the phone with me and I talked to my daughter for the first time in five months." He shook, trapped in the memory. "She sounded so scared. My baby was seven hours and two states away and scared out of her wits. I promised her that I was coming for her," Kristoff said, playing with Anna's hair.

"Jesus," Anna whispered. "Poor Papillon."

"I begged Mrs. Collingsworth to turn her in," Kristoff said. "But she was in a small redneck town and she was sure that her useless sheriff wouldn't do a thing to help me. 'Younguns belong with their mamas,' was what she said the sheriff would have said. I called my agent at the FBI but they couldn't get mobilized in time. So I got in my truck and drove. Six hours of begging whatever higher power I could invoke to let them still be there when I go there." He hung his head sadly. "I was too late. I missed them by three hours."

Anna buried her face in the crook of his neck trembling. She could feel his pain, his fear, and it resonated within her.

(TO BE CONTINUED IN A NEW CHAPTER. FF IS BEING STUPID AND WON'T LET ME SAVE IT PAST THIS POINT)


	18. Happy Christmas Humbug Part 2

**A/N: A big, huge, titanic thank you to frenzy for all her help with this chapter. Oh and it would be a good idea to have** **knowledge of Frenzy's fic of this fic "Please." As always please leave a message! For some reason when I get past 10 thousand words FF stops** **saving. So here's the rest of chapter 17 "Happy Christmas...Humbug**

* * *

 **Unbreak You**

Chapter 17 Part 2: Happy Christmas...Humbug

She could feel his pain, his fear, and it resonated within her. "I promised Mrs. Collingsworth that I would pay her back every cent Miranda spent on her credit cards if she'd keep them active so the FBI could track her. With nothing else to do, I drove home, empty-handed. Mama cried almost as hard as I did once I got home. All the while, South Carolina and Bulda were at war over Stephen Michael. Poor little dude was terrified of me and even though I didn't live in the house, the state didn't want him near me. Ma explained the situation and we nearly lost him. Because of me."

He was silent for a moment, the only sound the gentle crash of the waves. "She must've used up all of the cash, because a month later Miranda used one of Pauline's credit cards at a Motel 6 in Chattanooga. When Agent Blackthorne called to tell me, I got in my truck again and drove all through the night, five hours straight, until I got there. Agent Blackthorne put me in touch with his Chattanooga counterpart and she, along with the Chattanooga police department, made a plan to apprehend Miranda and get my daughter back."

"How does the cashier at Walmart come into play?"

"I'm getting there," Kristoff said, kissing the top of her head. "Miranda was waiting around the store for a friend of hers to send her money. The cashier at the desk recognized Temperance from her missing child flier that they have in every Walmart in the country. She discreetly called her manager, who called the cops. Within minutes the store was on lockdown and the store management got Temperance away from Miranda. The cashier, Mary, I swear she could have been Bulda's sister. She's an older woman, blackest of skin, just like Mama, had my baby in her lap in the back office of the store. She was singing to her telling her that I was coming for her. That her daddy would be there soon. I have never been on good terms with God but it was like he sent that wonderful woman to Tempe right when she needed a honest grandmother. When I got to the store, the cops had to hold me back from killing Miranda. I would have, too. She just smiled at me. She was cuffed and chained to a bench, and she was fucking smiling at me, like she won a prize or something. It was just a game to her, the whole damn thing. Everything she did, six months of pure living hell for me and Tempe and my whole family, was just to hurt me. To get back at me for not taking her to New Orleans five years prior. It didn't matter that she was going to jail, in her mind she won."

"And maybe she did," Kristoff mused, somber.

"No," Anna shook her head, not willing to believe that. "Never believe that, Kristoff. You won. You got Papillon back. You never gave up on her."

"Well, now you know," he shrugged. "Now you know why I react like I do. Why I am the way I am."

"Kristoff..." she breathed, not quite sure what else to say.

"Anyway, once I calmed down, the store manager took me back to her office and I was reunited with my baby. She clung to me, sobbing her eyes out. Begging me to take her home." And that's when he broke. "She was asking me why this happened to her. Why was she taken from me. Why it took so long for me to find her, when I promised I was coming for her. All questions I couldn't answer." Anna's handsome prince, broken and crying. Anna turned in his lap, her skirt pooling around them, crying with him. She used her thumbs and wiped away the falling tears, kissing him softly.

"And after what she did, after all that, she didn't go to prison. The Women's Correctional Facility was overcrowded, and the prosecutors didn't want to risk a sympathetic jury letting her off, so they offered her a plea deal. Her public defender jumped at it, and that's why she only had house arrest. I was livid, and so was Ma, but by that point I was too exhausted and too focused on Tempe to do anything about it. My lawyer, Mark, who helped me pretty-much pro bono for six months, petitioned for strict restraining orders. He worked closely with the State's Attorney and the local Sheriff to make sure the law would shield my daughter. He's a good man, Mark. I tried to pay him, but he refused. He had a story similar to mine, but with a much more tragic ending. That's why he works in family practice. I send him and his team home-cooked meals every week. It's the least I can do for everything they've done for us."

Anna leaned her forehead against his, her tears mixing with his. Bleeding out this horror was painful, but she was so grateful to be able to help him in his healing. So proud he felt comfortable enough with her to share it with her.

"Tempe was home, but she wasn't safe. Miranda's shit did quite a number on her, both physically and mentally. She's seen doctors, psychologists, therapists, the works. Her body's healed, mostly. She's little, but she's strong. She's so strong, our Tempe. But the emotional toll, the wounds to her soul..." More tears fell, and Anna kissed them away. "Those may never heal."

"She's home now and she's safe," Anna whispered into his ear. "She's home where no one can hurt her. She's home with us. She has a father who would go to the ends of the earth for her and now a mother, me, who will dote and love on her the way she deserves to be. That nightmare is over, Kristoff. And I will do whatever I can to make sure neither of you is ever hurt like that again."

He held her close, sinking into the mattress and pillows, cuddling her warmth close to his. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your stargazing with my old demons."

"I'm not," she reached up and kissed him under his ear. "I'm glad you told me. You've helped me so much with my own healing, I want to be there for yours too."

Just then a meteor streaked across the night sky. Anna gasped, amazed at the sight. "Make a wish, sweetheart," Kristoff whispered in her ear. "Tempe told me that she wished on shooting stars when she was gone, and that her wish to come home came true. We always wish on shooting stars now."

Anna snuggled into his broad chest, hands absently caressing him through his flannel, mesmerized by the show in the sky. Out there, away from the lights of the city and with no moon to drown them, the sky was awash in milky white stars. One would race across the sky every few minutes, burning brightly as it went. Like a speeding fairy on a mission to grant a child's wish. Anna hoped all those children had their wishes come true, because she knew they could. After all, she was lying in the arms of her greatest wish.

Kristoff was more entranced by Anna, and the joy that lit up her face. He held her like he once promised he would, until the stars fell around them, and beyond. He was hers, and she his, and he would never let her go. He felt his eyes prickle, and the tears came again, but slower this time. softer.

She kissed him, kissed away his tears and held him tight. "What did I do? What did I do to earn you?" he breathed into her ear, holding her close.

"You're a good man, Kristoff, and a good father. You never gave up. Even at your lowest, you never stopped fighting," Anna's eyes softened in introspection. "Maybe that's why you never gave up on me, either."

"And I never will," he vowed, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear before kissing her deeply, softly, promising with his lips what his words had difficulties conveying. Their kiss was slow, languorous, steeped in compassion and a strengthened bond of love. Their kisses grew deeper, more fervent, a spark dropped in kindling that slowly took hold and burned deep within them both. "Kristoff," Anna sighed, clinging to his back, pressing hard into him.

"What can I do for you, my princess?"

"Make love to me Kristoff," Anna whispered, kissing his neck. "Make love to me."


	19. French Toast

**A/N: A big, huge, titanic thank you to frenzy for all her help with this chapter. Oh and it would be a good idea to have** **knowledge of Frenzy's fic of this fic "Please." As always please leave a message!**

* * *

 **Unbreak You**

Chapter 18: French Toast

 _Previously on Unbreak You_

 _She kissed him, kissed away his tears and held him tight. "What did I do? What did I do to earn you?" he breathed into her ear, holding her close._

 _"You're a good man, Kristoff, and a good father. You never gave up. Even at your lowest, you never stopped fighting," Anna's eyes softened in introspection. "Maybe that's why you never gave up on me, either."_

 _"And I never will," he vowed, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear before kissing her deeply, softly, promising with his lips what his words had difficulties conveying. Their kiss was slow, languorous, steeped in compassion and a strengthened bond of love. Their kisses grew deeper, more fervent, a spark dropped in kindling that slowly took hold and burned deep within them both. "Kristoff," Anna sighed, clinging to his back, pressing hard into him._

 _"What can I do for you, my princess?"_

 _"Make love to me Kristoff," Anna whispered, kissing his neck. "Make love to me."_

* * *

Kristoff froze, not quite believing his ears. He shifted in her arms so he could look at her, and shuddered when he saw so much love, trust, and need in her eyes. "Anna? Are you sure?" Kristoff breathed. "If you're not..."

Anna silenced him with an urgent kiss and pulled him closer to her, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Make love to me, Kristoff," she whispered again. "Please?"

She had been dreaming about this moment for weeks, ever since that night in her cottage when she experienced the greatest pleasure she had ever had. She would lay in bed at night, her slender fingers trembling over her folds, her mind filled with thoughts of Kristoff's hands and mouth on her, bringing her to the edge and catching her as she descended over. She was retraining her mind and body to know that Kristoff, her Kristoff's touch was kind and gentle. Patient and caring. He'd never hurt her, degrade her, use her or make her feel like she wasn't the most important person in his universe. She was erasing every horrible thought she had about herself, seeing herself only as Kristoff saw her. Beautiful, kind, courageous. Brave, honest, worthy. Worthy. Worthy of him of his love. Worthy of everything his love had to offer.

She kissed him again, hard, her hands in his hair, her want and need filling his senses. He moaned, and she slipped her tongue past his parted lips to kiss him deeply. He loosened his hold on her so he could run his hands over her curves, press her in close to his body, let her feel how much he needed her too. He felt her tug at his shirt, felt her fingers fumble at his jeans, and _oh God could this actually be happening?_ He'd wanted her like this for months, burned with longing for her, but he had to be sure. He had to be sure she was sure. Her consent was more precious to him than the diamond on her finger.

He took her hands and sat up on his knees, pulled her up as well so they faced each other. He kissed her wrists, the scars that remained there, then traced them lightly with his thumb. The stars continued to fall around them, but they only had eyes for each other. He had her hands in his, so he brought them up and kissed each of her palms. She whimpered with barely-contained desire, flexing her fingers to caress his face. "Anna," he implored, surprised at how rough his voice sounded, so he cleared his throat and tried again, "Sweetheart, are you sure? You know you don't have to… I didn't bring you out here to…"

"I know, I want to," she murmured, her gaze fixed on his mouth as she traced it with the pad of her thumb. Kristoff trembled like racehorse kept at bay, the reins of his control slipping through his fingers. "I want you, Kristoff. So much."

"You can stop at any time, or tell me to stop, and I will. No matter what," he said, clinging to her hands, interlocking their fingers, fighting to hold on. She nodded, and she glanced up to capture his eyes. "Anna..." he breathed, desperate, growing harder each second he gazed into her darkening eyes and seeing nothing but love, trust, and longing.

She rested her hands against his face and smiled. "It's ok. I want this, Kristoff, with you. Only you. I'm ready." She leaned up and pressed her lips to his in a sweet, soft kiss. He returned her kiss, savoring her sweetness. He let go of her hands and rested his on her hips. She broke the kiss with a trembling sigh, then leaned back down to look up at him with impossibly blue eyes. "Make love to me, my prince? Please?"

He closed his eyes and nodded, then opened them to smile softly at her. He tugged on her hips, and she turned around in front of him. She sat on her feet, her dress pooled about her, and he shifted in their pile of blankets so his knees rested along her thighs. He trailed his fingers up her arms, over the soft fabric of her cardigan. She shrugged out of it, letting his calloused fingers trace wandering paths along her bare freckled arms. His hands smoothed under her hair to find the dress's closure, and he nuzzled the back of her head, breathing in her scent, waiting for permission. A barely audible _yes_ came from her perfect mouth, and he eased down the zipper, the fabric of her dress parting to reveal the physical marks of her past. A month ago she would have shied away from him seeing her scars. But tonight she lifted her hair higher out of the way so his loving kisses could trail across every mark, every inch. Kristoff worshiped her back, her neck, pouring out his love like a healing balm until every negative thought she had about herself, her scars, was nothing more than a fading memory.

Resting his hand on her hips, Kristoff kissed her, tracing every crevice and groove in her skin. He lavished her back with tender touches, kisses and words of adoration and total devotion to the beautiful princess before him. Her past may be ugly, but not her. Never her. She was his angel. She was strength. She held his heart in her hands, and he never felt safer. God, how he loved her!

Anna took his hands in hers, marveling at how big they were. How easily they could hurt, but wouldn't. These hands comforted a scared and broken little girl back to life. These hands could punch a hole through drywall but instead create delicate sugar work butterflies for a birthday cake. Hands that were big enough to grab and bruise, but were forever gentle with her. Hands that stoked the fire smoldering in her belly. Hands that brought her to blissful edge of pleasure, and caught her as she tumbled over. Hands that lavished respect and love over every part of her they touched. She took those hands in hers and brought them up to her breasts. Her name was a ragged sigh escaping his lips as he kneaded her tender flesh. Leaning back against his strong chest she whimpered his name in reply, so in love and so safe. "Kristoff…"

Kristoff eased the straps of her slip and bra off her shoulders, kissing her neck, finding that place she loved so much. The spot that caused her to moan so wonderfully that he just had to hear it again and again. He eased her slip off of her and she reached back and popped the hooks on her bra, and shivered slightly in the cool night air.

"Are you cold?" he pulled her in tighter to his chest as his hands gently caressed her perfect breasts. She shook her head and pressed into his touch, hungry for more.

Anna turned to face him and stood to let her clothing fall away. He gazed up at her, slack-jawed at her beauty outlined by starlight. Wearing only her panties, she eased back down to straddle his lap and slowly, button by button, opened his blue flannel shirt, revealing his gray tank top underneath. His broad, powerful chest heaved as he watched her nimble fingers slide each button through its hole. Anna's hands slipped his shirt off over his strong shoulders, staring into his beautiful brown eyes the entire time. She could lose her soul in those eyes, and know he would keep it safe.

Her hands trailed down his broad chest and defined abs, darting under the hem to push the tank up and off. She savored his skin, drinking it in, delighted by the mix of softness and strength under her curious fingers, emboldened by the tremors of desire that her touch set off in him. Anna would love this man forever. She leaned in and placed a kiss over his heart just as her hands found his jeans and began to open them.

Months before, after Anna told him about the abuse that Hans inflicted upon her, he stopped wearing leather belts. If he had to wear a belt, rarely because his mother made sure he bought pants that fit, he wore one of woven canvas so as to not trigger the love of his life. Her slender fingers at his fly made him shudder and whimper with barely-contained want. He inwardly cursed himself for wearing the button-fly Levi's, but Anna didn't seem to mind one bit. For her it was like opening a present she really wanted. Really, _really_ wanted. And her slow progress was agonizingly delicious. She eased his jeans off his hips, bringing his skin-tight boxer briefs down with them, freeing him from their constricting confines. He reared up onto his knees, struggling to kick off his boots so he could get out of his pants. He pulled her up with him and kissed her hungrily, his hands warm even against her heated skin as they caressed her every curve. He hooked his fingers on her panties and, when she pushed at his wrists, eased them off her hips. She kicked her shoes off too, so they faced each other in nothing but their skins.

He kissed his way back up her body, nipping and licking her luminous skin until his questing mouth found her breasts. He flicked her nipple with his tongue a few times, much to her delight, before taking it deep into his mouth. Anna shuddered and cried out, digging her hands into his hair and holding him close to her, aching for more. He gladly obliged, and brought one hand up to knead and caress her other breast while the other hand smoothed around her waist, over her hip, and along her already slick folds. She hissed at his touch, and ground herself down harder on his fingers, desperate for more of it. More of him. And he gave it to her, faster and faster, until she was dripping and flushed with unbridled want.

Anna couldn't wait any more. She laid back on the blankets and pillows, her red hair glowing in the lantern light. She parted her thighs and stared at her prince with a deep, burning longing, and reached out for him. There was still that slight fear and submission in her expressions and Kristoff shook his head. "No, Princess," he said softly. He tugged at her fingers, and when she sat back up he gathered her into his arms. "Not like that."

Curiosity battled desire in her storm-dark eyes. He sat back on his heels and wrapped her legs around his waist, her center resting against his hardness, and they both moaned at the contact, ravenous for more. "Together, equal. I won't use my size and strength against you. I love you."

Anna wrapped her arms around his neck, her whole body trembling. Her instincts demanded that she move, so she rolled her hips into him, sliding her center along his thick length. His heady groan all but growled out of his chest, reverberating in her own, urging her to do more, but, "I... I've never done, not like this. I don't know what to do," she pleaded.

"Together," he repeated, resting his forehead against hers, their breathing shallow and labored. "We'll do this together. Let me show you what love really is."

She nodded, and he kissed her deeply. She shifted her hips, aligned their bodies, and slowly lowered herself onto him. His eyes fluttered shut and his jaw went slack as he groaned, trembling, fighting the urge to thrust up to meet her welcoming warmth. He opened his eyes when she gasped and he saw her, wide-eyed, tears stinging as she exhaled a soft, "Ow."

"Oh God, Anna. I'm sorry sweetheart," Kristoff whispered, cradling her face. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm okay," Anna breathed, wrapping her arms under his shoulders, gripping him tight. "I'm fine, just keep...It feels so…Kris, I knew you were big but… Please..." Her eyes closed in pleasure and her head lolled to the side. His lips captured that spot on her neck, and her moan rattled against his parted lips. They moved together slowly, savoring every moment of their first time together. Her gasps and moans only fueling him to love her more.

"I've got you, my princess," he nuzzled her neck, breathing in the heady scent of her raw sweetness. Loving how it embraced him as thoroughly as her tight wet sheath enveloped his cock. He'd never felt anything this amazing in his entire life. "I've got you."

She breathed heavily in his ear, feeling his love for her fill her. Real, honest love. Not pain or humiliation or foul, demanding lust. Just pure, selfless devotion. He loved her, mind and soul and, at long last, her body. Every caress was an ardent promise, a sworn devotion. Nothing was more important to Kristoff than Anna. And she loved him too, with every shard of her broken soul. Anna lost herself in the rhythm of their bodies, up and down, up and down. She controlled how deep he went, how fast they went. She greedily craved the sensations he gave her, and burned with the passion to pleasure him in return. Kristoff's strong arms supported her as he peppered kisses all over her face, her neck, her shoulders, his fingers sliding down to gently grasp her hips in a silent plea for more. He flexed his arms, pulling her in closer to him, never wanting to break their connection.

"More," she whispered into his ear, her voice thready and overwhelmed with desire. "I need... I need to feel you. All of you. I trust you. Lay me down. Fill me. Kris, _please_."

Gently, softly, Kristoff heeded her desire and laid her down on the blankets and pillows, staring at her body in total adoration. He had dreamed of this moment, of sharing this bliss with her, for so long and now that it was happening he never want it to end. "Anna, one word and I'll..."

"I know," she said, cupping his jaw in her slender hands and kissing his closed eyes. "I trust you."

He held himself over her on one elbow while his other hand ghosted up her thigh to grasp her hip. He watched her face as he twisted his own hips, pushing himself back into his Anna, his northern star, the other half of himself. Her hips rose to meet his, and they found their rhythm again, slow and steady and unrelentingly tender. He watched her as he loved her, her face luminous with pleasure. His Anna, so brave, so beautiful. He tamped down on his own building need to make sure she was the first to achieve bliss. His thumb found her center and he began to coax her over the edge.

Anna could feel him moving deeply in her and she keened with the pleasure of it. For every stoke he made into her, he whispered his love, his admiration, his devotion to her. She could feel it all. And when he reached down to tease her swollen clit, it felt like a million tiny fireworks erupted along her every nerve, blinding her with white-hot light.

"Kristoff...Please...Kris..." Anna whimpered, trembling. "Oh God, please..."

"That's it, Princess," Kristoff cooed. He made sure he never used language when they were together that could trigger a memory of what that asshole would call her. "I love you, my Anna. Oh God, I love you. I've got you." He felt her body tremble and tense below him, and he couldn't hold out any longer. "Come with me."

Anna clenched around him, arching her back and parting her lips in a silent scream as she came. Wave after wave of scorching bliss billowed through her, and her heat set him on fire. He pumped himself into her once, twice, crying out in pleasure as he emptied himself into her.

They clung to each other, sweaty and sated, the sound of the surf tangling with their ragged breathing. Kristoff turned onto his side, still inside her, still cradling her close. He grabbed a beach towel and used it to dry the sweat from her radiant skin before the cool night breeze could chill her, then tucked the blankets around their entwined forms. "I've got you, my princess," he murmured into her hair, and he smiled when he felt her slender arms tighten around him.

He trailed his fingers up and down her spine, then flattened his palm to cover most of her scarred back. She shifted in his arms, so he loosened his hold on her enough to lean back and gaze at her face. His breath caught when her eyes captured his. He'd never seen eyes so crystalline blue, so bottomless, so full of love. He let his fingers ghost along the contours of her face, brushing away the tears that pooled in those beautiful blue eyes. "Anna," he breathed. "Princess…"

"I'm okay," she whispered, anticipating his concern. "I… I'm… I love you so much, Kristoff," her hands rose up to his face too. The both of them gently caressed the other with curious fingers, gazing into each other's' faces with new eyes, with no secrets between them, with nothing but devotion and adoration.

He took a washcloth from his bag, dousing it with water and carefully pulled out of her, cleaning them both gently. Anna shivered as his warm body left hers. Kristoff wrapped a blanket around her body, smiling deeply at her. He curled in next to her holding her next to him. Her slow, even breaths giving way to peaceful sleep. "I love you, Anna."

* * *

He woke with a start a short time later, shivering. Anna had rolled off him, taking a good majority of the blankets with her. He turned onto his side to face her and just looked at her, peaceful in sleep. He was a bit overwhelmed by their evening, and what they shared. It wasn't just the sex, although that was more amazing than he ever dreamed. Well worth the wait. It was her trust. She trusted herself enough to reach out for him, and after the living hell that was her life before, she trusted him with her heart and her body. His brave, strong, beautiful Anna. He swore right there he would always treat her like the princess she was.

The breeze off the water was colder than he thought it would be. Early January, even in South Carolina, is still chilly. So instead of bundling back up he gently shook her awake so they could get dressed and head home.

"Kristoff?" her voice soft and sleepy.

"I hate to wake you up, Princess, but we should head back to town," Kristoff said, kissing her cheek. "I'll make you breakfast when we get home."

"Mmmmmm," she sighed, stretching like a cat. "French toast?"

"Whatever you want, sweetheart," he nuzzled her nose. She leaned in and gave him a slow, drowsy kiss, which he gladly returned, cradling her face in his palm.

They almost lost themselves to their kisses, but an errant gust of chilled wind reminded them it was past time to head home. Kristoff found his jeans and buttoned them up as Anna slipped back into her dress. She held up her hair for Kristoff, who kissed up her back as he zipped it up. "Hmmmm, don't start something you don't want to finish," Anna all but purred, tilting her head to the side in invitation.

"I will have you however and whenever you want me, Anna," Kristoff said, kissing her neck. "I won't ever be able to get enough of you. You're better than, um, meatballs, or something," he nipped at the cluster of freckles dusting the juncture of her neck and shoulders.

"Meatballs? Really?" she giggled, then sighed when he suckled gently at her skin.

"Hush, you. You know words aren't my thing."

"At least it wasn't frog legs,"

"That's going to turn into a codeword for us isn't it?" Kristoff laughed, reluctantly letting go so he could search the blankets for his socks.

Anna wrapped herself up in his blue flannel, giving up on finding her cardigan in the mess of blankets and pillows. Kristoff pulled his socks up and laced his boots back up. "You are going to have to start giving me some of my shirts back, you know."

"But they're all memories. I need them."

"Yeah well my closet is looking a little bare."

"The red one is the one you left at my house after our first alone date," Anna said, a smile crossing her face. "The green one is the one I wore home after the first trip to the beach. The red and black one you wrapped around me after the, well, you know. All of them are memories of you. And I love having them."

"But Anna, I'm here. You don't need the memories. We're going to make so many more." Anna pouted, and he wrapped his arms around her. "Look at it this way: when we're married, you'll have my whole closet at your fingertips."

She giggled, laying her head on his chest. It was chilly, and he only had the grey ribbed tank on, so she shrugged out of the blue flannel and tossed it over his broad shoulders. She grabbed a blanket instead and smiled sleepily up at him. He gave her the keys with another soft kiss, and she climbed out of the truck bed and unlocked the cab while Kristoff covered everything with the tarp, making sure nothing was going to fly away on the drive home.

She wasn't quite sure how she did it, but she managed to bundle herself up in the blanket and have her seatbelt on and still somehow lay down with her head against Kristoff's leg. Between the warmth from the heater, the sound of the highway flying by under them, and his fingers gently playing with her hair, she slipped back into a deep, comfortable sleep.

* * *

The morning rays of light tickled Anna's nose. She had no idea how she got back into her own bed; the last thing she remembered was Kristoff laying her head in his lap as they drove home from the beach. She stretched, memory slowly returning. Kristoff carrying her blanket-wrapped self in, juggling her and her keys for a moment before he got her door open, setting her down on her couch and slipping off her shoes for her. He kicked his own boots off and shrugged out of his flannel before getting up to close and lock everything, the way she always did. She slipped out of her dress and into his flannel, then sleepily tilted over onto the couch. She vaguely remembered him chuckling before picking her up again, remembered being carried by warm, strong arms, remembered being set down in her own bed and, a short while later, those warm strong arms gathering her close.

She opened her eyes slowly in the morning light and saw that she was alone, but there was a warm spot in her bed that was much bigger than her petite frame could make. She got up and, after a quick pit stop, went in search of her wayward fiancé.

She heard him before she saw him, her little kitchen radio tuned to the classic rock station, the sounds of eggs cracking and dishes clanking softly on the tile countertop echoed through her bedroom door. She padded to the door in her bare feet, his shirt wrapped around her. She carefully opened the door and saw him preparing breakfast, his sleep-tousled hair almost glowing in the early morning sun streaming in through her kitchen window. She stared at him, barely blinking. He worked about the kitchen with calm assurance, his movements measured and precise and absolutely breathtaking with him in his barely buttoned Levi's and nothing else. Anna felt her face flush, felt her belly stir with a hunger that had nothing to do with breakfast.

He spotted her as she walked up to the counter and smiled, "Good morning, sweetheart." She looked adorable with his blue flannel hanging down to her freckle-dusted thighs and her hair a tangled halo about her sleep-puffy face. Her hands absently reached up to adjust the shirt listing off one shoulder and attempt to tame her locks, her gaze soft as it wandered over the shadowed swell of his arms, the smooth planes of his chest.

He wiped his hands on a towel as he walked around the counter to greet her properly, giving her a soft kiss. She hooked one hand behind his neck and pulled him down for a deeper kiss. The sudden intensity of it overwhelmed him and he hungrily kissed her in return, smoothing his hands around her back to press her in closer. He nipped at her bottom lip, then nuzzled her nose, "Good morning my love."

She smiled, a low hum singing in the back of her throat, her eyes on his mouth which she quickly leaned up to claim again. The hand she placed on his chest slowly curled, dragging her short nails down his pec, making him gasp and groan into her mouth. She took advantage of his open lips to dart her tongue in, caressing him, tasting him. His mind clouded with the heat of her onslaught. Why were they in the kitchen again, when he could be in her bed devouring her instead? Oh yeah, breakfast.

"I, hmmm," he slowed down, tried to focus, but her lips were so soft against his and he wondered if she had anything on other than his shirt and his hands suddenly burned with the need to find out, but… "I made you French Toast," he grabbed the loaded plate and slid it in front of her.

"Mmmmm, smells good," she hummed.

"Thanks. I used the last of the cinnamon, just so you know." He couldn't resist moving her hair off her shoulder, couldn't resist kissing her neck.

"I wasn't talking about breakfast."

He moaned into her neck, his tongue seeking out and savoring her pulse point, the pounding of her heartbeat spiraling and throbbing through him, his own heart racing to catch up. His hands found her waist before ghosting up the outside of the flannel to circle and knead the yielding flesh of her breasts.

"Breakfast can wait," Anna whispered, eyes closed, reeling at his touch. "I'm hungry for something else."

"What," he rumbled, hands drifting back down to her waist, following the subtle flare of her hips all the way to the frayed hem of the flannel resting just below the plump curve of her bottom. "What do you have in mind, my Anna?"

She reached up, his shirt collar nearly falling off of her, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. He bent low, knees turning to water in the wake of her passionate demands. But it didn't take long for the embers she stoked to roar to life, and he crushed her to his chest and straightened, pulling her up with him.

Anna gasped, shivering from the cold tiles beneath her as he set her down on the counter, but when Kristoff started to pull back she hooked her heels behind his legs and pulled him in closer. He let his hands wander along her thighs, stroking her smooth skin down to her knees before slowly working them up under the flannel. When his questing fingers reached her hips, when he realized she wore nothing but his shirt, he couldn't stop the groan that rattled deep in his chest. He brought his hands out and up her sides, teasing her breasts on their way up to the collar. His muddled brain screamed at him to yank the shirt up and off of her, or to rip it open so he could dive in and claim what he craved. But he didn't want to scare her. And he sure as hell didn't want to hurt her.

She was so warm in his arms. So willing. And when her hands joined his and undid the top button, it was like a floodgate opened. He kissed her, hard, as they frantically attacked the rest of the buttons together until the shirt fell open and he wrapped his hands around her waist. Her perfect little teeth nibbled his bottom lip as his thumbs circled her hipbones, caressed her stomach, inched closer and closer to her center. She kissed along his jaw and down his neck, making it to the hollow of his throat before she trembled and cried out, his thumb having found her folds, already slick with want. Her hips bucked, eager, desperate for more of him, of his touch. Her hands climbed up the thick column of his neck to tangle in his hair, scratching his scalp as she pulled him down to her own neck. He ravished her collarbones with hungry kisses and licks before the hand on her back pressed her up to bring her chest level with his mouth. He nuzzled at her taut, peaked nipple, teasing it with his tongue while his other hand worked lovingly over her clit, fingers sliding up and down her center before slipping inside her entrance. "Hmmm, Kris…oh," her hands fisted in his hair as she pressed herself closer to him. She dropped her hands to his shoulders, kneading the thick layers of muscle. He groaned, kissing the freckled skin of her sternum, and she couldn't take it anymore. Her hands trembled with want as they darted to his waist and popped the remaining buttons of his Levi's.

"I need you," he breathed against her heated skin, breathing in her intoxicating scent, thrusting with a poorly-contained growl when her hands wrapped around his length. He slipped his fingers out of her, rubbing her clit once more for good measure before circling around to grasp her bottom. He couldn't wait to lift her, to wrap her luscious legs around his waist, to take her back to her bed and bury himself in her.

But Anna had other ideas. She pushed his jeans down with her feet and guided him to her entrance. "Please," she whimpered. "Oh god, Kristoff, please!" Who was he to deny her, especially since he fantasized about having her like this _way too_ many times. His hands were already on her bottom, so he pulled her slowly closer, sliding deep into her welcoming heat until he could go no further, his hips flush against hers. They both moaned, reveling in the jagged bolts of pleasure pulsing along every nerve, radiating out from their connection. She flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, peppering him with hot, open-mouthed kisses, canting her hips in time with his.

"My Anna. My Anna," his throaty claims rumbled from deep in his chest as he held her to him. Kristoff kept one hand flush against the base of her spine, holding her close as he moved in her, with her. The other cradled the back of her head, massaging her scalp, tipping her head back so he could capture her mouth, devouring every delicious whimper and moan that poured from her lips. Each thrust was steady, deliberate, building in intensity. She felt so unbelievably good, so hot and slick and eager and yielding and he didn't know how much longer he could last. He dug his fingers into her hips, tilting them to stimulate her more, and the new angle had them both crying out. Her nails dug into his shoulders, her entire body trembled and clenched around him until she cried out, her back arching as she came fast and hard. And he succumbed to her, his senses overwhelmed by her fire as spilled his love into her with a choked cry of release.

Kristoff kept one hand on her head while the other braced the countertop, holding them both up as they gasped and panted for air. Eventually he slid out of her, holding her close when she whimpered at the loss. He hiked his jeans back up and lifted her up off the counter, carrying her over and sitting down on her couch with her in his lap. He held her close, tucking his flannel around her body, tucking her body as close to his as he could. He realized she was always limp after their encounters, loose and warm, safe and trusting in the cradle of his arms. His heart was fit to burst with pride, knowing he earned her love, her trust, knowing he could give her such bliss.

She sat in the halo of his presence, floating in the afterglow of their love. Her ear was pressed to his chest, and the steady drum of his heartbeat sang to her. His fingers moved softly over her shoulders, soothing and slow, perking up sensitive nerves long buried under the tangled labyrinth of her scars. She practically purred in contentment, until her stomach betrayed her with an insistent grumble that almost echoed in the tiny room. Kristoff leaned back to look down at her, smirking.

"Um, I guess breakfast can't wait anymore?" she blushed.

* * *

Anna walked into the house a few days later carrying a bag full of art supplies for Temperance Dawn and Lucy May. In addition to being the classroom mom for her Papillon's class, Anna took over that role with Lucy May's class as well. Lucy May, while ten years old, almost eleven, had the mentality and size of a four or five year old. Her birth mother did drugs while pregnant and it left Lucy May with mental disabilities and cerebral palsy. Adoption was a crapshoot for most kids, but kids with disabilities faced even longer odds. She lived in a crowded, overworked group home before Bulda and Pabbie were able to get her out. And while she's made enormous progress over the last few years, her parents knew she would never be able to live on her own like her brothers and sisters eventually would. So they were making arrangements for her.

Temperance Dawn, Lucy May, and Kristoff were sitting on the floor of the family room, working on a giant puzzle together. It was slow going, but Kristoff was nothing but patient with the two girls. He let them figure out where the pieces go and only helping when they asked for it. Temperance Dawn would clap and Lucy May would cheer every time she got a piece to fit, and would reach over and give Kristoff a big hug which he gladly returned.

"It warms the heart to see, don't it?" Bulda grinned, walking up behind Anna, who was watching the puzzle makers with a soft smile on her face.

"It sure does," Anna agreed. "Especially after everything they've all gone through."

"He finally told you?"

"Yes," Anna said with a smile. "It was hard for him. But good at the same time."

Bulda beamed with pride. "Come chat with me, Anna Marcie. I have questions for you."

"What's up, Mama?" Anna said joining her in the kitchen.

"Have you given any thought to what you want to do for your and Kristoff Alastair's wedding?"

"A little. I don't want anything fancy, and you guys are my family, so we thought just having it in the backyard on the dock would be the best," Anna said. "Would Pabbie walk me down the aisle?"

"You'd have to ask him, but I'm sure he'd be proud to do it," Bulda said, cupping Anna's cheek. "And I'm so proud to call you one of my own."

"Thank you, Mama," Anna smiled.

"Now, Kristoff Alastair and I had a conversation the other night and he wouldn't answer my question unless I asked you the same," Bulda said.

"Okay?"

The older woman took Anna's hands in hers and gave her a big smile. "Anna Marcie, it's nothing bad, I promise," Bulda said squeezing her hands. "Pabbie and I are meeting with our lawyers to go over some paperwork, guardianship affidavits and such. You have been such a blessing to Lucy May these last few months and she adores Kristoff Alastair. Anyway, we have it in our paperwork that if anything, God forbid, should happen to Pabbie and I, you and Kristoff would retain custody of Lucy May."

Anna gasped and looked down. "Mama, why us? Wouldn't Tillie or Grace Leanna be better to take care of Lucy May? They've known her longer."

"It ain't about who has known who the longest, it's about who can give Lucy May the kind of life she deserves," Bulda said, patting her hand. "You can do that. You and Kristoff."

"Mama..."

"I believe in you, Anna Marcie Bjorgman. You've come so far, healed so much. And your loving heart heals those around you. What you've done for my daughter, my only granddaughter, and for my sweet boy, just by being you, I will never be able to thank you enough."

Anna smiled, not quite sure what to say to that. She squeezed Bulda's hands back. "Thank you, Mama. And yes, we'll do it. But I know you and Pabbie will be around for a good long while. Papillon needs her grandparents."

"Yes, well speaking of only granddaughter, when you and that son of mine gonna have me some more grandbabies to love on?"

Anna's face fell and the tears welled up in her eyes. She pulled back, quivering, fighting the urge to run. She can't believe she'd gone this long without telling Bulda. How can she break this woman's heart? She hugged her arms around herself, willing the tears to not come tumbling out, and failing. "Mama, I... I can't," she whispered. "I can't... I'm sorry… He hurt me too badly..."

"Oh baby girl! Don't cry. Oh please don't cry," Bulda jumped up and smothered Anna in a fierce hug.

Anna trembled, crying quietly in her embrace. "I want to, Mama. I want to so much."

"I know, baby. I know. I understand," Bulda soothed, fighting her own tears. "I was hurt too, before Pabbie came along and saved me. I couldn't give that sweet old man the babies we wanted either," Bulda said, holding her daughter close. "So we took off halfway around the planet and brought home Matilda Louise, then Grace Leanna, Adam Carter, and Penny June. Took a couple year's break then found sweet Lucy May, the twins, Kristoff Alastair, Temperance Dawn, Stephen Michael and then you my sweet girl."

Bulda pulled back and cupped Anna's cheeks in her plump hands, wiping her tears away. "You are not any less of a woman or a mother for it, either. That's the Lord's honest truth. When the time is right, my sweet girl, Love will find a way. Love always finds a way."

Anna threw her arms around Bulda, the tears subsiding. Hugging it out they smiled together, looking back into the living room where Temperance Dawn and Lucy May were giggling together as they worked on their puzzle.

* * *

"So..." Tillie began.

"So what?" Kristoff grumbled, setting aside the bowl of mushrooms he was cleaning in the sink.

"So if you don't stop smiling, I'm going to lose a bet."

"What does that even mean, Tillie?"

"Grace Leanna bet your face would crack from smiling so much. Because, you know, you usually don't smile so much. I bet you'd be back to your grumpypants self in a week no matter how happy you are."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he groused.

"Don't mention it," she grinned. "Bet or no bet, I'm glad you're happy, Kristoff. It looks good on you."

"I am," he couldn't help but smile. "I really am."

"And you're also you, and smiling is not your natural state no matter how happy you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just now you were grinning like an idiot while you were washing mushrooms. Nobody likes washing mushrooms, Kristoff, not even the lovesick recently engaged." Tillie crossed her arms, thinking, then gasped, "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Oh my god did Anna let you sleep with her?!"

"No comment."

"She did! That's the only possible explanation!"

"Sounds like someone needs a long walk off a short dock," Kristoff tossed his mushroom brush down on the prep counter.

"Was it after your last date? Or did you guys do it at the beach? Hey, keep away! It's still winter!"

"Nope. You're going airborne, then you're going swimming," Kristoff grumbled, advancing on his sister.

Tillie actually giggled as she ran out of the kitchen, past a bewildered Anna, shouting "Hi Sis, bye Sis!" over her shoulder.

"That was...weird," Anna laughed, puzzled.

Kristoff smiled, opening his arms to his fiancée, who eagerly jumped into his embrace. He spun her around, grinning. Maybe Grace Leanna was right, but he didn't care. He was so happy he couldn't contain it. "What brings you by, Sweetheart? Aren't you going with Ma to get the kids from school?"

"We're leaving in a bit, but I have time so I wanted to see you. And ask you something."

"Anything," he held her closer, nuzzling the top of her head.

"Are we all going to live in the trailer together?" Anna asked. "After we're married?"

"We could," Kristoff said. "But Mrs. Polson has another idea."

"Mrs. Polson?"

"She's the lady that lives next door to Ma and Pop. She's been like a grandma to us kids forever. She likes to travel with her friends, so you probably have only seen her a few times."

"I remember her. She's a very sweet old lady. I just don't understand."

"Well, maybe this will help," he handed her a letter written on crisp peach stationary in a looping cursive script.

 _Dear Kristoff Alastair and Anna Marcie Bjorgman,_

 _For the last sixty plus years of my life, I have lived next door to your family. Having been a widow for nearly forty of those years, with very little family of my own, it has been my greatest pleasure to have witnessed your family grow in size and love. First little Pabbie growing up, then him and his wife Bulda, to all of you wonderful little foundling children, who through strength and love know the real meaning and value of family. With my own home silent of the sounds of pattering little feet, my joys have come from being able to be a part of yours. From tea parties with little Temperance Dawn and Lucy May, to chasing Justin Carl and Junebug Carly out of my pantry when Bulda denied them an extra cookie or three, I have felt like an adopted grandmother to all you beautiful children._

 _But it's time for this old bird to spread her wings. Some dear friends of mine and I are moving to Florida, and from there we plan on traveling the world. I have more than enough to keep me going, and I want to see my house put to good use. So I am leaving my house and all the furnishings and decorations to you, Kristoff Alastair, for your own growing family. Those months that your own little girl was taken from you were as heartbreaking to me as they were to you. My thoughts and prayers were with you always. I want your growing family to have a place that you can grow old in. The willow for Temperance Dawn to climb, the garden for your beautiful Anna Marcie to grow healthy fruits and vegetables and sweet smelling flowers. Don't think I didn't notice you taking cuttings from my white roses for that beautiful girl, young man. Not that I minded. They were going to a wonderful person._

 _Anna Marcie, I only wish I could have known you more. I could see the pain and torment that followed you here to this oasis. You survived so much and I can't wait for you to be in this home, with that young man, who has meant so much to all of us. Love him and build a home with him. Be the woman who will love him the way he deserves and be the mother that child needs. May your lives be blessed and filled with love. And never forget that you're loved, more deeply than you'll know._

 _Take my house and make it a home. And once the good Lord calls me home, it will be yours in name as well as in heart. Make it sing._

 _Your loving grandmother,_

 _Anita Renee Polson_

"We have a house," Anna whispered with a teary smile. "A house where Temperance Dawn can grow up in."

"We don't have to keep it," Kristoff said. "We could always go somewhere else and make our own lives?"

"Kristoff, you want to raise Temperance Dawn here with your family. Why would I want to leave? I want that, too. Arendelle is my home, the only place in the whole world that has ever been kind and welcoming to me. There's nowhere else in the world I want to be than right here with you and our family."

Kristoff beamed at her, smiling so bright his face probably was fit to burst. Anna held the letter to her heart and reached up to cup his cheek. "We have a house," she breathed, not quite believing it. Six months ago she was alone and scared and running for her life with barely a hundred dollars to her name, and now she was part of a big, loving family. Before she was nothing, now she was a best friend, a mother, and soon she would be the wife of the most amazing, gorgeous, grouchy, lovable man she's ever known. And they had a house, a place to live and grow and fill with life and laughter and love.

He leaned down to kiss away the happy tears that fell from her eyes.

* * *

Anna sat at her sewing machine. The constant rhythm of the needle and the humming of the motor was soothing, almost like meditation. She was hard at work on her wedding dress. It wasn't anything super fancy, just a simple dress, much like her other dresses she had made or collected over the last few months. This one was a white satin sleeveless dress with a full skirt. She found a beautiful pale pink lace that she was going to use as an overlay for the dress. She planned to make matching dresses for Temperance Dawn and Lucy May, except Temperance Dawn's would have lilac lace and Lucy May's would have mint green. She stilled the machine for a moment, thinking back to three nights ago when Kristoff and Temperance Dawn had stayed the night at the cottage.

Papillon and Anna made dinner together, wouldn't let Kristoff help at all. He smiled, obeying their demands when they both stood shoulder to shoulder and pointed their fingers out of the kitchen. So he sat on the couch and read, something he didn't get to do too much of lately. The girls made mac and cheese with chicken and peas, and butterscotch pudding for dessert. The first of many meals they would share as a family. They sat around the table, Temperance Dawn saying grace, just like she does at Grandma's house.

"God bless Mommy and Daddy, and this food," Temperance Dawn said, holding Kristoff and Anna's hands. "May it fill us so that we will always have enough. Amen."

Anna was used to hearing grace being said at the Bjorgman's table, though she wasn't used to the sincerity of it. Growing up, the prayers her mother made were desperate and pleading, sometimes frightening. But here, Papillon's little prayers were reassuring that hope was still alive and growing. She was able to hold on to that.

After dinner they played Monopoly Junior together, letting Temperance Dawn be the banker. It took longer, but they both had the patience to let her count out all the money, amazed at how easily the numbers came to her. Anna thought of other ways she could help foster that love of math and numbers. After the game, which only lasted a half hour because Temperance Dawn was getting sleepy, they built a little fort for her out of blankets and pillows in the living room as Anna didn't have a second bedroom in the cottage for Temperance Dawn. But once they were married and moved in to Mrs. Polson's place, their Papillon would have a room of her own.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay out here by yourself?" Anna asked, kissing her temple and tucking her into her improvised bed.

"Yes Mommy," Temperance Dawn said with a sleepy smile. "I know you and Daddy are right in there and I won't be alone."

"We'll be right on the other side of the door," Kristoff said, kissing her daughter on the forehead and turning on her white noise maker.

"I know," Temperance Dawn yawned, cuddling her Stitch stuffy tight. "Goodnight Mommy and Daddy. I love you."

"We love you too, sunshine" Kristoff said, kissing her forehead.

Kristoff and Anna went into her room and left the door barely cracked so they could hear Temperance Dawn if she needed them. As many times as they spent the night together since their engagement and now having fallen into a lustful longing and learning of one another, they had found a simple and elegant evening routine. He stood in the doorway of the bathroom, watching her wash her face. It was silly and simple but she liked Kristoff watching her. When Hans would watch her, she felt her skin crawl. With Kristoff, his simple loving gaze behind her in the mirror was a comfort. It banished the ghosts that sometimes still haunted her. She smiled at him, drying her face with the cotton towel.

"I didn't think you could get any more beautiful, my Anna," he said, easing himself out of the jamb and into the bathroom. "I love you so much."

He took her into his arms and they shared a tender kiss. "How's Temperance Dawn sleeping lately?" Anna murmured.

"Like a rock," Kristoff replied, tucking her hair behind her ear so he could kiss her neck.

"Hmmmmm, good," Anna grinned. Kristoff lifted her up into his arms and carried her back to their bed. They stopped referring to the bed as his or hers but rather theirs because they were a partnership, they were equals. He set her down and cupped her face in his wide, calloused palms and kissed her softly, passionately.

He loved undressing her, seeing her for all she was. His and his alone. Just as he was hers and hers alone. So they undressed each other, lustfully staring at each other before reaching out to touch, careful to keep their love to themselves. Afterwards, Anna curled into his arms, so at peace, so content, welcoming slumber.

But it was not a restful sleep. Several hours after midnight Anna fitfully tossed and turned, the images in her mind terrifying and relentless. Derisive laughter, both male and female, echoed in her mind. Hands grabbing, darkness surrounding her, drowning her. She saw a light in front of her, and she was desperate to reach it. But as hard as she tried, she couldn't get near to it. The darkness would swallow it, over and over, and she was alone again. Words berated her, hurt her. Pulled her down. Anna fought and fought to get free, ran and ran, but never fully escaped from the monsters in her mind.

A hand reached out, grabbing her shoulders, shaking her, her name coming from its mouth. Over and over. Shaking her. "Anna? Anna! Wake up, baby, wake up," Kristoff said, gently, trying to wake up the whimpering and thrashing Anna. "Sweetheart, Anna. It's me, it's Kristoff. Baby, I'm here, please come back to me."

Anna fought her nightmares, but their hold was tight and unrelenting. One set of hands held her under night-dark water. An evil laugh, female this time, and the panicked cries of Temperance Dawn, flood her mind. Her cries for Mommy broke Anna's heart as she fought to the surface of the invisible water.

"Baby, please wake up," Kristoff's kind voice called to her. "Anna, please. Princess, I'm here. Wake up."

Anna bolted upright, gasping, sobbing, tears streaming down her face. Disoriented, she darted out of bed and slammed the door to the bathroom. She wrapped her arms around herself and sank to the floor, confused and crying. "Anna? Sweetheart? Please talk to me," Kristoff pleaded from behind the door. "Baby, don't do this again. Please talk to me. Let me help you."

"K-K-Kristoff?" Anna stammered, hiccoughing between sobs.

"Yes, princess, it's me. You're ok. You're safe. Please talk to me, sweetheart. Please."

"Just, just give me a minute," Anna called back to him, coming to, calming down. She ran the water and splashed it on her face, the unclear images from the nightmare not becoming any clearer in the light of the bathroom.

I'm not running. I'm not running. I won't do that to him. Talk to him, Anna! But her mind reeled, the voices screamed at her to run and stay hidden, to fight these demons alone, like she had for so long. She buried her face in her trembling hands, struggling for control.

"Tempe? Baby, what are you doing awake?" Kristoff's worried voice came through the door.

"I want Mommy. I heard her crying. She needs me. Mommy? Mommy are you okay?" Temperance Dawn's sleepy but terrified voice called through the door. "Did the Scary Man come back?"

Anna shut off the water, nearly snapping the handle clean off, threw open the door and gathered her terrified daughter in her arms. She had to let her daughter know and understand that she was okay. That there was nothing for her to be afraid of. Hearing her daughter's fear gave Anna the strength to shove down her own fear, to focus on Temperance Dawn and her well-being, and through her, her own. So she soothed the little girl's fears, and calmed her own in the process. "I'm okay, Papillon," Anna said smoothing down the stray hairs on Temperance Dawn's head. "I just had a nightmare that scared me."

"I get nightmares too, Mommy," Temperance Dawn said. "Maybe Stitch can help you too?" The little girl held out her stuffy. "He can be scarier than Scary Lady."

"Thank you, Temperance. It's ok, I don't need Stitch. I'm okay now. I have you and Kristoff," she looked up at her fiancé. Kristoff hovered over them, aching to hold them yet waiting for signs that that was okay, that he could comfort them both. He didn't want to trigger her further. Anna smiled in apology and leaned into him, and he gratefully wrapped her in his embrace. "I have you both."

The small family sank to the floor together, Tempe in Anna's arms and she in Kristoff's. He surprised her by humming, then singing to them, his voice gentle and soothing. He sang their song, cradling his girls close. Anna wriggled an arm free so she could wrap it around his waist and hold him in return. He was her lifeline, her lighthouse. Her reason. Her love. His rich voice filled the room. " _Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy praise._ "

"You sang it right, Daddy," Temperance Dawn yawned, cuddling both her parents.

"I have the best teachers,"

Unable to be separated for the night, Temperance Dawn snuggled between her parents in their bed, comfy and cozy. Kristoff and Anna stared at each other over their daughter's head. Her steady, even breathing relaxing them both.

"Anna, that was a bad one," he whispered. "Have they always been that bad? Are you going to be ok?" He reached over Temperance Dawn to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I couldn't get out of it. It was holding me down," Anna whimpered, the tears coming back. "Something or someone was trying to take Papillon from me. That hateful laughter echoing in my head. I didn't know where I was, and all I felt was fear."

"I'm right here, Princess," he said, kissing her forehead, wiping her tears away with gentle fingers. "I won't let anything happen to you. To either of you. You and this monkey are my whole world."

"She's not a monkey," Anna teased. "But I get it. Thank you," she leaned into his touch, comforted by his steadfast presence. "You're my world, too. You and Temperance Dawn. You're my everything. I don't know what I'd do if… I'm sorry I hid."

"Shh, it's ok. I know why you did. It's ok. You're safe."

"Are you okay? I know this isn't easy to deal with."

"Hey, I don't deal with you, Anna. I love you," Kristoff said. "It scares me when you're fighting your demons, because I want to fight alongside with you. I don't want you to ever feel alone again, to fight alone. I will always be with you, my Anna, no matter what."

"I don't ever want you to feel like I am taking advantage of you or your unwavering support."

"And I don't. I love you, my Anna, so much. That is never going to change."

* * *

She sighed, looking at the taped-together drawing on her fridge that Temperance Dawn made her, of the three of them together. In less than a month, she, Kristoff and Temperance Dawn would be moving into the beautiful house next door to his parents. They were going to be a real family. Breakfasts together, homework at the table. Nights of passion in their room. Days filled with love and purpose. That simple ease that comes from a true and happy life. Smiling, Anna looked back down at her sewing. "Three more weeks, Anna Marcie Bjorgman. Three more weeks and it's real."


	20. Wedding Belle Part 1

**A/N: Thank you for all the love for chapter 18! It was a long time coming and Frenzy and I hope that it delivered! As always, thank you for your patronage and please leave a message!**

 **This chapter will be split in two again as can't seem to let me save it past 10k words.**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 19: Wedding Belle Part 1

Anna made a list of things she needed to get done in these last few days before the wedding. The younger Bjorgman girls needed new tights to wear with their dresses. The boys needed matching ties. She had to pick up the jewelry from the antique store she had put on hold the day before. She needed to run to the market to get things for the wedding cake Kristoff was making but wouldn't let her see yet, Tillie, Grace Leanna and even Adam Carter kept asking her painfully obvious roundabout questions regarding cakes and decorations but they got all innocent and clueless when she asked them why. She got a call from Jillian Sanderson wanting to meet her later that afternoon.

"Mommy? Can I come with you to do errands?" Temperance Dawn asked, coming into the kitchen of their beautiful new (to them) house. They had spent the last week moving all their things into the house, turning Mrs. Polson's house into their home. Anna framed Temperance's drawings and paintings and hung them on the walls. Photos of their small family were set out on the coffee tables and end tables throughout the house. Her favorites were the professional shot of her and Kristoff from the cabaret and the family shot Grace Leanna took at the Christmas festivities.

"Do you have all your toys picked up and put away?" Anna asked, looking up from her list.

"Yes Mommy," Temperance Dawn said. Of all the Bjorgman children, Temperance Dawn was by far the neatest. At first Kristoff worried she was overcompensating for the months she was missing. Her doctor said that in one of her sessions, Temperance Dawn knocked over a cup of crayons and stared at her doctor like he was going to get very angry with her for spilling something so trivial. But as the trauma subsided, the family began to notice that she simply liked things neat and tidy. She was Anna's biggest helper and she loved it. She was probably the only kid on the planet who enjoyed doing dishes by hand.

"Get your shoes on, Aunt Tillie will be here soon," Anna said, watching her daughter dance from one side of the kitchen to the other.

"Yes, Mommy."

At times Anna missed the noise and chaos of the elder Bjorgman household. But she'd come to treasure and enjoy the moments in their new home when she and Kristoff were truly alone together, Temperance Dawn sound asleep in her own room. Kristoff would come up behind her, wrap his arms around her, and kiss that spot on her neck that ignited a passion she never knew she had burning inside her. He would whisper a ragged _please_ in her ear, and wait for her breathless consent before easing her skirt up to find her pleasure center and create their own kind of love.

Their love was a phoenix, born of the ashes of abuse and torment and grew into a magnificent bird of fire and desire. At times it was a soft, slow burn, comforting and warm like a campfire on an autumn evening. Other times a fiery inferno of passion and desire spiraling around and through them, consuming them only to rekindle and flame anew. It was always different and always wonderful. Anna couldn't ask for anything better.

Anna checked over the list that Kristoff had left her of things he needed. He was stuck with Grace Leanna and Adam Carter catering the Red Hat Society's annual luncheon, the one last event before the wedding. She opened the fridge and added a few things to the list her little family needed for the week: milk, eggs, butter, cheese, fresh fruit. She loved caring for her family. Loved being the one to be there for them, like she never had. To be the kind of woman she always wanted to have in her life: one who was caring, nurturing, and present. One who loves and is loved unconditionally. Kristoff and Temperance were everything she never had and always wanted. They were her strength, her reason, and nothing would keep her from them anymore. And she was theirs. Together, they would take on the world.

"Anna?" Tillie called, walking in the kitchen door. "Are you about ready?"

"Almost. Just finishing up my list while Temperance gets her shoes on," Anna replied. She had found herself more and more dropping Temperance's middle name and calling her just Temperance or Tempe, like her father does. "Are you sure you have time for errands today? I thought you had a lunch date with Kevin?"

"He's on patrol," Tillie said, staring down at her phone. "Said he'd text me if there was time between keeping the three traffic lights in town from getting stuck on red and chasing the seagulls out of the park."

"Small town problems," Anna laughed. "Tempe! We're leaving in two minutes!"

"I'm coming Mommy!" Temperance called, skipping down the stairs. She joined her mother and aunt in the kitchen. "Are going to see Miss Jillian and Baby Patty?"

"Yes we are. I think little Patty will be so happy to see us," Anna replied, tickling Temperance's nose.

Anna was surprised by how often Mrs. Jillian Sanderson invited her and Temperance over for tea and conversation. While Jillian had married into one of the more wealthy families in Arendelle, she was still a light-hearted country girl who just loved giving back. She was fond of the friendship she had made with Anna and Anna was happy to have someone outside of Tillie and Grace Leanna to talk to. Made it easier to talk about her relationship with Kristoff without having to censor herself.

Anna, Tillie and Temperance walked through town to the Sanderson's home. The whole way Temperance chattered away about any and everything. Her teacher, her school, the new friends she was making. "Mommy, can we make the room next to mine for Auntie Lucy May?"

"I don't see why not," Anna said. "We should talk with your father about it, too. Maybe you and Lucy May could paint it together?"

"That would be so much fun!"

The whole walk, Anna could feel an extra set of eyes on them. Whenever she would turn around, there was no one there. She was used to being watched, in the before, used to that cold prickle of dread crawling up her spine. But not here. Not in Arendelle. Not in her safe place. She didn't like it one bit, but she refused to let it ruin their outing.

They walked up the steps to the Sanderson house and Anna let Temperance knock on the door. The Sanderson's maid, Gloria, answered the door and showed the three ladies into the parlor.

"Anna!" Jillian said, standing up from the sofa to greet them. "Oh and Tillie and Tempe! It's so good to see you all. I am so glad you all could come over today!"

"Miss Jillian, may I please play with baby Patty?" Temperance asked, her voice soft and polite.

"Patty is taking her nap right now but maybe after tea," Jillian said with a smile. "But first I have something for all of you. Now I used to be a florist specializing in silk flowers, so I made you something Anna."

Jillian handed Anna a large white rectangle box with a big purple bow. Anna smiled in gratitude, then let Temperance help her. They carefully removed the bow and lifted the lid of the box. "Now I know you said that you and Kristoff were going to keep things very simple for your wedding, but no bride should ever walk down the aisle with grocery store flowers," Jillian said primly, watching Anna's face as she lifted out the handmade bouquet out of the box. "Tillie and Bulda let it slip a week or so ago that you weren't that concerned about the flowers, and I had to do something about it. I really hope you like it."

Anna held in her hand a bouquet of the most beautiful display of roses, calla lilies and orchids she had ever seen. It was better than what she'd seen in a magazine. "Tillie said that white roses meant something very special to you, so I started there and it became that."

The bouquet was an elegant arrangement of white roses cascading down in a waterfall. Purple calla lilies and white and purple orchids added a splash of color. The scattering of tiny purple and white glass seed beads caught the light, twinkling like stars.

"Jillian, this is so — I mean, wow! Thank you," Anna breathed, trying to find the right words to say. "You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to," Jillian smiled. "Besides, it's something I like to do and I wanted to do something nice for you Anna." Beneath the stunning bouquet in the box there were corsages and pomanders in white and purples, as well as white rose and calla lilly boutonnieres, one for every member of the family and special guests.

"Damn Jillian," Tillie whistled in awe. "These are amazing! We should contract you for the Mansion. So many brides would pay triple for these creations."

"You think so? Joseph was asking the other day what I was going to do with my time now that little Patty is getting bigger."

"Well, come to talk to Mama," Tillie encouraged her. "I think she'd keel over if she got to have an in-house florist to join the business, especially a top-notch talent like you."

"I feel like I should pay you for these," Anna said, reaching for her purse.

"You do and I will never speak to you again, Anna Bjorgman," Jillian Sanderson declared, her voice even and face dead serious. "These are a gift."

Anna didn't know what to say, so she hugged her friend in gratitude.

Gloria brought in a tray topped with crystal glasses of sweet tea, and a special plastic version for Temperance Dawn. Along with the tea there were little finger sandwiches, cookies and Jillian's standing order of petit fours. They talked about the latest town news, more about the wedding, and the move into the new house.

"Is Kevin any closer to proposing, Tillie?" Jillian asked.

"Unlikely," Tillie grumbled. "He's too much of an officer and a gentleman. Says he wants to but has to get Daddy's permission first. Which is ridiculous."

"Kevin's a good ol' boy," Jillian said. "If it's important to him, the feminist in you can just deal."

"I don't need my father's permission to get married," Tillie groused, pulling her cookie apart.

"Of course you don't, but that's not the point," Jillian grinned. Anna smiled too. Deep down, under all her bravado about being an able-bodied woman, one that doesn't conform to gender roles and stereotypes, Matilda Louise Bjorgman still needed to be wooed and courted. She needed her family to adore the man she wants to marry, to make him a member of the family too. She may not want Pabbie's blessing, but she _needed_ it.

Baby Patty woke up from her nap, and Jillian let Tempe help dress and change her. Tempe was very gentle with the baby, who seemed to enjoy the extra attention. She would cover her eyes and play peekaboo, and they both would giggle and laugh, much to the delight of their parents.

"I'll have your flowers sent over to your house, Anna," Jillian assured her. "Thank you so much for stopping by, all of you."

After they said their good-byes, Anna, Tillie and Temperance hit up the market. Tillie was engrossed in a conversation with Kevin, which left Anna and Temperance to push and fill the cart. They didn't mind, there wasn't much. Temperance insisted on gathering items she could reach, handing them carefully to Anna to place in their cart. Anna adored her little helper, and enjoyed including her in their errand. While waiting for someone to finish getting their milk, Anna smoothed down Temperance's hair and kissed the top of her head.

Throughout their time in the market Anna had that same horrible feeling that she was being watched. She trusted her gut; something was definitely not right. Once she thought she saw another redhead looking over at her from across the aisle, but the woman stepped around the corner before Anna saw more than a simple cotton dress and badly-dyed hair in twin braids.

"Tillie, someone's following us. Do you feel it?" Anna whispered at the check-stand. "I have that prickly feeling on the back of my neck."

Tillie glanced around. "I don't see anyone…"

"I know someone's watching us," Anna insisted.

"I believe you, Anna. Want me to call Kevin?"

Anna thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "No, not yet. I don't want to upset Tempe."

Tillie nodded. They left the market quickly and walked over to the mansion. Tillie stopped Anna and Tempe at the door at insisted that they wait there, then she ducked inside. The little girl couldn't be trusted to not give away anything.

Tempe was puzzled. "Why can't we go inside, Mommy?"

"Kristoff's planning a surprise," Anna answered a bit crossly. She wasn't allowed inside, too much she could see. The dinner, the cake and the decorations inside the mansion for after the ceremony were all going to be a surprise for her.

"Oooh, I love surprises!" Tempe clapped her hands together.

Kristoff stepped outside with a grin. All the secrecy was his doing, as he wanted to make sure Anna had the best wedding he could give her. Without her mother or her sister, he wanted her to make sure Anna was happy and loved.

"Oh come on! I can't even see the decorations?" Anna exclaimed, exasperated. "I love you honey, but isn't this a bit much?"

"Nothing is too much for my beautiful bride," Kristoff said, kissing her softly. Chocolate and powdered sugar dusted his face and in his hair, and he left a powdery imprint on her freckled cheek. "You deserve it."

Anna relented, smiling up at her handsome fiancé. If doing all this made him happy, then she was happy too. "Well I still have errands to run, so I'll leave you to your secrets and surprises. Need me to do anything else for you today?"

"Oh yeah," Kristoff said, reaching into his pocket. "Can you swing by the bank and put this in the taxes account?" He handed Anna a stack of cash to put in their house account. While Mrs. Polson had paid off the house years prior, there was still the taxes and upkeep that she and Kristoff would be responsible for.

"Of course," Anna said. Hans had never allowed her to have her own bank account or even have her money. But with Kristoff, they already had a joint account, she had a bank card with her name on it, and full access to all their money. It was an amazing feeling to not only be viewed as an equal, but treated as one too.

Tillie barged out the door just as Kristoff gave Temperance Dawn a hug. He shared a sweet smile with Anna before slipping back inside the closing door. Tillie giggled, handing Anna and Tempe a chocolate-chip cookie each. "Swiped these from the kitchen on my way out," she grinned impishly.

"Tillie!" Anna admonished.

"Ooooh, they're still warm!" Tempe exclaimed. And she was right, the cookie was warm and soft, right out of the oven.

"Well, just this once," Anna smiled and took a bite.

The trio made off with their ill-gotten cookies, enjoying every bite as they walked the few blocks over to the bank. They walked past the ATM and over to the glass doors, when Temperance froze and hid behind Anna.

"Scary Lady," Tempe whimpered, hiding behind Anna. "Mommy…"

"Hey there Tillie!" a sugary voice called from in front of them. "I thought that was you at the market. Hard to miss your fashion choices."

"Miranda Lynn, you need to step back," Tillie said, crossing her arms over her chest. "And what's with the shit dye job?"

"Oh Tillie, you haven't changed a bit," Miranda Lynn laughed airily, not acknowledging Anna or Temperance, or Tillie's anger. Anna held tight to Temperance's hand and kept her behind her. She wouldn't allow Scary Lady to upset her little girl.

"You're right, I haven't. You need to back up about four hundred feet because I can't trust myself to not beat the stupid out of you."

"Don't be silly, Tillie, I don't have a restraining order against you," Miranda Lynn said, flipping her badly-dyed braids back behind her shoulders. "It's only for Kristoff."

"And Tempe," Tillie said, knowing Anna was focused on keeping Temperance out of Miranda's sight.

"Oh there's my sweet girl," Miranda Lynn said, holding out her hand. "Tempe, let's go."

Anna kept herself in front of Temperance, wanting to keep this encounter as civil as possible. That is if Tillie can keep her temper in check, which knowing Tillie, was highly unlikely. "I don't want any trouble so, please back off. My daughter and I would just like to go on about our day."

Tillie, feeling her temper flare knew she had better get backup fast. Getting arrested two days before her brother's wedding was probably not in her best interest. Tapping out a fast message to Kevin who was only at the park, three minutes away at most. _At First Southern. ML too close. Don't want to get arrested._

"Your daughter?" Miranda Lynn looked Anna up and down, and scoffed. "Please. It's my name on her birth certificate, so I'll be taking her with me now. Come along, Tempe.

"No," Temperance whimpered, clinging tightly to Anna's hand. "I don't want to."

"Don't be silly, Tempe. Let's go."

"Mommy…" Temperance Dawn whimpered, clinging tighter to Anna's hand, her terror so visceral that Anna's gut twisted.

"She said no," Anna said, keeping her petite body between the taller woman and her daughter. "And Kristoff and I have raised her to be able to say no, to anyone. You have no right to Temperance Dawn. You lost that when you abused her, kidnapped her, and abused her some more. Your name may be on her birth certificate, but it's also on the restraining order and the order stripping you of your parental rights. You are nothing to her and nothing to me. Let us pass."

"I don't know who you are, so why don't you step out of my face and give me my daughter," Miranda Lynn snapped.

Looking back, Anna swore she saw the steam come out of Tillie's ears. "That's rich Miranda Lynn," Tillie shouted, her temper gone. "You know exactly who Anna is. I'm shocked you haven't turned green from jealousy. Anna has Kristoff, the house and even Tempe. If you weren't so damn insane, you could have had it all too. But no, you had to go and take crazy pills and abuse my brother, his daughter and now his fiancée."

"What the hell, Tillie?! You're my friend."

"For fuck's sake, Miranda, friends don't kidnap and abuse their friend's niece for six months!" Tillie shouted back, patrons of the bank and surrounding businesses watched. "You kidnapped this sweet little girl and abused the hell out of her, all to get back at _my brother_. Temperance isn't your child. In your sick mind, she's a pawn in your revenge plot against Kristoff. You took that girl and you hurt her. God only knows what possessed you to do something that stupid and hateful, but you did and I will never forgive you for it! _Ever_!"

"To hell with you then, Tillie. I'm taking my daughter back, and there's nothing this little whore can do to stop me!"

Before anyone could react, Miranda Lynn slapped Anna across the face. She shot her other hand out, grabbed onto Temperance Dawn's arm and yanked her forward, wrenching her out of Anna's protective grasp. "You're not fucking keeping me from my daughter anymore, you stupid whore! She's mine! Damn it, she's mine!"

"Mommy!" Temperance cried out, her free hand reaching for Anna. Her little feet kicking and stomping, trying to find Miranda Lynn's feet.

The world went into slow motion as Anna reacted. Her fist balled up and connected with Miranda Lynn's nose. She stumbled backwards, loosening her grip on Temperance's hand. The little girl shot into Anna's arms and before anyone realized what was happening Anna and Temperance had vanished inside the bank. Tillie taking her opportunity got a few hits in before the Rent-a-Cop for the bank took over.

With Miranda Lynn detained, Tillie slipped into the bank and looked for Anna and Temperance. They were cuddled together on the small couch. Temperance wasn't crying but she was clinging to Anna in fear. Anna's soft voice was singing to her, calming them both down.

"Sis, you okay?" Tillie asked. A fine scratch was on Anna's face, compliments of Miranda Lynn's nails.

"We're fine," Anna replied, still rocking her daughter. "I texted Kristoff, he should be here shortly.

Temperance rubbed at her eyes, then looked at her aunt. "Scary Lady's gone?"

"She's gone, Tempe. You're safe," Tillie reassured her.

"Thank you for keeping me safe, Mommy," Tempe murmured.

"I'll always keep you safe, my Papillon," Anna smiled at her.

"Is your hand okay?"

"Yes it is, thank you," Anna replied. Tempe kissed it anyway, and Anna grinned.

Tillie stayed with Temperance while Anna stepped back out to make sure Miranda Lynn didn't evade arrest. Kevin's partner had her on her feet, her arms cuffed behind her. Anna walked over to her and looked her in the eye. "I feel sorry for you," she said. "Someone had to have hurt you badly for you to be this way. I'm sorry."

"I don't want your fucking pity," Miranda Lynn snapped. "I want my daughter."

"No, you don't. You never did. You wanted to control Kristoff. And when you couldn't, you just had to hurt him," Anna replied, looking up to see Kristoff run around the corner. "You never saw them like I do. Kristoff only wanted to be there for you and Temperance. But you were so selfish you couldn't see it. Now you never will. Temperance will never, _ever_ go through what you put her through ever again. She will be loved and cherished like the jewel she is. And Kristoff? I won't let you hurt him anymore. How dare you? How dare you do this to them again. As long as I am here, they will be loved."

"He'll never leave Arendelle, you know," Miranda Lynn spat.

"And that's fine with me," Anna smiled. "Arendelle's perfect."

Miranda Lynn scoffed and was hauled away by Kevin and his partner. She spotted Kristoff and scowled, jerking at her cuffs. Kevin's partner held fast, and pushed her into the back of their patrol car.

Kristoff ignored her and jogged up to Anna, who threw her arms around him and held him close. "Tempe?" he asked, worried.

"She's fine," Anna reassured him. "She's inside with Tillie and the manager."

"Oh thank God," Kristoff breathed. He leaned back and brought one hand up to cradle Anna's cheek, carefully rubbing his thumb over the scratch. "And you?"

"I'm okay," Anna smiled. This time, there would be no house arrest. There would be no more appeals. This time Miranda Lynn was gone. Gone from their lives, gone from hurting them.

* * *

The police took statements from Anna and Tillie, as well as several members of the crowd. They didn't seem to mind waiting at all; they were more interested in making sure that awful woman didn't hurt that sweet girl ever again. Perks of a small town. Everyone knew about Miranda Lynn and the drama she brought to Kristoff and the Bjorgman family. The bank manager had her tellers come out and serve the crowd coffee while they waited for their turn with the deputies.

Afterwards, Anna insisted that she continue with her errands. "I'm not going to let her harm us anymore, and that includes not letting her ruin our lovely day."

"Are you sure?" Kristoff asked, concerned.

"Positive," Anna beamed. Kristoff smiled back, kissing her on the forehead.

"Papillon?" Anna knelt down next to her daughter. "Would you like to stay with Aunt Tillie and me to finish errands? Or do you want to go home with Daddy?" Anna had to ask, since Tempe usually clung to her father like a little koala bear every time Scary Lady reared her ugly head.

"I can choose?"

"Of course," Anna smiled.

Temperance Dawn looked up at her father, who knelt down and smiled with encouragement. "I want to stay with you, Mommy. I don't want our lovey day to be ruined."

"That's my brave girl," Kristoff grinned, giving her a quick hug and a kiss.

* * *

Kevin knocked on the kitchen door and walked into the mansion's kitchen, where Kristoff was elbow deep in sugar and fondant. He had a flash drive and his laptop. "Hey, Kristoff! Tillie said I'd find you here."

"Hey Kevin. Yeah, the girls insisted they were fine, and they are, so I came back to work. I have so much to get done before tomorrow."

"Yeah, they were over at your folks' place last I saw them."

"So what's the word at the station about what happened today?" Kristoff asked, hoping against hope that his nightmare would finally be over.

Kevin's grin spread from ear to ear. "Miranda Lynn Collingsworth has been arrested and charged with violating the orders of protection, two counts of battery, one against a minor, and attempted kidnapping. Your attorney Mark was down at the station keeping an eye on things. I've never seen the District Attorney show up so fast. I think it's safe to say Miss Collingsworth won't be a bother to you or your family for a long, long time."

 _It's over. It's finally over…_ Kristoff let out a breath that felt like it was held for years. "Thank you, Kevin," he said simply.

Kevin nodded, then whistled, "Whoa, this is amazing work," he said, admiring the realistic sugar flowers and delicate butterflies laid out on the work table.

"Thanks. She's worth it. So worth it."

"Got a moment? I have something I think you should see," Kevin said, setting the laptop down on the countertop.

"What is it?" Kristoff cocked an eyebrow as he walked over.

"Just a little something from earlier today I thought you'd like to see. You didn't get this from me." Kevin plugged in the flash drive and opened the only file on it. "Enjoy."

Kristoff wiped his hands clean on a towel and eyed the laptop screen curiously. Playing out in front of him in pixelated grayscale was Anna, face to face with Miranda Lynn in front of the bank. Tillie was yelling at her former friend, while Tempe was hiding behind Anna in fear. Blinding rage boiled in his belly as he watched his ex slap his wife and grab his daughter. But then his heart swelled with fierce pride as Anna's fist slammed into Miranda Lynn's face. He watched, mesmerized, as Anna scooped Temperance up in her arms and run inside. She protected their daughter instead of gloating over her stunned adversary. Tillie, on the other hand, made sure Miranda Lynn stayed down until the Bank Security guards rushed up to take over. Kristoff's hand absently clicked the rewind button, and he watched his bride-to-be step up take out Temperance's demon, over and over and over again.

"This is… this… thanks Kevin," Kristoff said, fumbling with his apron strings, wiping the sugar and frosting off his hands before tossing it aside without looking. "I need… I… Excuse me."

He was out of the kitchen, in his truck and halfway home before he knew where he was going. His mind both clouded and raced, the image of Anna burning brighter than the sun. His Anna, standing up to his old demon, protecting _their_ daughter. He needed to hold her. No, he _ached_ to hold her. To love her, be with her, _worship_ her. To show her how much he loved her and needed her. He parked the truck and was inside his house with no real awareness of how he got there.

He found her in the kitchen, humming softly to herself while doing the dishes. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. God, she even _smelled_ gorgeous. "These can wait," he growled, his need for her too great.

"Kris…? What?" she gasped as his hands traveled up and down her sides, over her trim waist, and up to ghost along her ribs, and she couldn't help but sigh, "Kristoff…"

"You are the most amazing woman in the world," he husked, nibbling on her ear before latching onto that spot just below it that never failed to make her moan. "Please, I need to be with you right now."

And moan she did, the sound of it shooting straight to his groin. "Wha-what has gotten into you?" Anna whispered, melting into him.

"Please, my princess," Kristoff said, turning her around with one hand on her waist, the other cupped her jaw, caressing her lips with his thumb. "I have to be with you, my love. My beautiful bride."

Anna's breath hitched. She saw Kristoff's eyes focus on her mouth before capturing her own in their molten depths. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded frantically.

He lifted her into his arms, held her to his chest, and kissed her hard, his longing for her beyond intense. He swept his arm out to clear the clutter off of the kitchen table, then laid her down on top of it. "I love you so much, my Anna," he whispered into the crook of her neck as he tugged at her dress. She gasped as his hands brushed up her thighs to hook on her panties, and she lifted her hips so he could pull them off. Once they were gone he made quick work of his own pants.

"Kevin showed you the surveillance video, didn't he?" Anna murmured, her hair spread out under her head like a fiery halo.

Kristoff was about to lean in to press his mouth to her center, to revel in her raw sweetness, but he couldn't wait. He needed to drown himself in her eyes, to bury himself in her heat, to let her feel how much she meant to him. "When I saw you standing up for Tempe… saw you protecting our daughter, I…" Dammit, why was it so hard to explain what he felt, what it did to him to see her so fierce, so protective, so brave. She'd been in his life for less than a year, yet he couldn't imagine life without her. She accepted and cherished him for who he was, calmed and soothed all of the pain rotting him from the inside out. He once thought he was unbreaking her, but in truth, it was Anna who made him whole.

He couldn't say all he needed to say, but Anna knew. Her eyes shone with so much love and devotion that he knew she understood. His brilliant, beautiful Anna. She hooked her heels behind his thighs, pulled him down closer until his hips were cradled by hers. He grasped her right hand and brought it to his lips so he could kiss her knuckles, slightly discolored from their impact against Miranda Lynn's face. "I have never wanted you more than this moment, my Anna. You are more than I could ever have hoped for," Kristoff whispered as he snaked a hand behind her back to pull her in close, and rubbed himself on her, trembling with unfettered need. "Please, Anna? May I?"

Despite being a two days away from being married, and having slept together numerous times, Kristoff still made sure that his princess consented. He would never take advantage of her. She was his princess, his Anna, his bride, his love, his.

She smiled up at him with hooded eyes and nodded, " _Please_."

He filled her with a swift thrust, holding her in his arms as they both cried out at the connection. She wound her legs around his waist and he picked her up, turning to lean against the table, kissing her deeply as he slowly, deliberately moved her up and down his cock. She dug her fingers into his arms, then slid them up and buried them in his hair. She tucked her face in the crook of his neck, whimpering as he lit up every nerve in her body. His length rubbed against a sweet spot deep inside her, over and over, coiling tension within her so fast that it snapped suddenly, overwhelming her, and she arched back and came with a wail. He growled and groaned, holding her trembling body in his arms, filling her just as she filled all of his senses.

"Come to bed," he whispered when they had finished, nuzzling at her still-flushed cheek. "The dishes can wait. I'm not nearly done showing you how much I need you."

"Mmhmm," Anna purred in his ear. "Carry me?"

"Always, my love."

* * *

Bulda and the girls kicked Kristoff out of his own house first thing in the morning on the day of his wedding. They gave him enough time to get his clothes, razor and toothbrush, and then he was unceremoniously shoved out onto the porch. Grace Leanna gave him a cheeky wave before firmly closing and locking the door behind him.

"You could at least let me finish my damn coffee," Kristoff muttered, walking out of his own yard and over to his parents' house. Pabbie sat in the kitchen reading the newspaper, the leftovers of the breakfast Bulda had made on the table. Stephen Michael and Justin Carl already ate and were sitting in the living room playing MarioKart on the Wii, something Bulda never lets them do before morning chores. But with Bulda next door and only boys in the house, they were taking full advantage of it. Sven, their big shepherd dog, lay between them gnawing on a soup bone. He didn't seem to mind being a pillow for the two boys.

"Got room for one more?" Kristoff asked, plopping down with a sandwich of French toast, sausage links and maple syrup and his mug of fresh-brewed coffee. They nodded, never taking their eyes off the TV. He grabbed a third controller and waited for the boys to finish their round before joining in. The ceremony was at two and it wasn't even eight in the morning yet. He had plenty of time to get nervous and throw up half a dozen times beforehand.

"Hey Pop?" Adam Carter called from upstairs.

"What now?"

"Uh, I just got this weird text from Ma and I am now afraid for my life," Adam Carter said, coming down the stairs.

"That woman," Pabbie muttered getting out of his chair. "Let me see it."

It was an obsessive and curt message reminding the boys that the chairs and the archway needed to be set up and ready before noon or there'd be hell to pay. "Geez," Adam Carter groused. "She's acting like we've never done a wedding before."

"Well, this is the first time she's got to do one from both sides of ledger," Pabbie commented.

"She does know we don't want it over the top, right?" Kristoff called out from the living room.

Pabbie cocked a shaggy eyebrow at him, "You want to tell her that?"

Kristoff hunched his shoulders and went back to his game.

"Great," Adam Carter sighed. "Better call Travis and tell him not to come dressed. Probably should call Kevin and Mark and tell them the same thing."

* * *

Anna sat at her vanity table and stared at her reflection. Her face was an odd mix of longing, excitement, and terror. Her wedding dress hung behind her, the simple veil lying on her bed. Tillie and Grace Leanna were assembly-lining the younger girls in and out of the bath, scrubbing them till they shone. Bulda rolled Lucy May and Temperance Dawn's hair into foam curlers and covered their hair in pink and green kerchiefs, while Penny June did Junebug Carly's short hair up in her signature pigtails. Anna fiddled with the locket at her throat, tears pricking her eyes. She needed Kristoff. Needed him to tell her that everything was going to be okay. That all this fuss was worth it.

"Anna Marcie? Baby girl?" Bulda said, coming into the bedroom and shutting the door. "Talk to Mama."

"I'm sorry, Mama. I just wish that things were different," Anna said, the tears falling. "I wish that my mother would have been different, that she would be healthy enough to be here. It doesn't feel right that the only people at my wedding are his family. I don't have anyone."

Bulda wrapped her arms around Anna, resting the crying girl's head on her chest. "You listen to me Anna Marcie. We are your family, baby girl, and we are here for you. Always will be. We certainly aren't your typical family, but that doesn't matter. Love matters, and we all love you. For who you are, for what you do, we love you. The people in your past either couldn't or wouldn't, and it's their loss."

"But what if they're right?" Anna asked, her voice small. "What if I'm not enough?"

"I know your nervous, sweet girl, but you stop it with those 'what ifs' right now. You are more than enough, and we all know it. You've grown so much since you came to this town. Honey, that day you came to Arendelle, Susan called me up. Begged me to take you in. Told me that you needed a mama. I think it took nearly a month before I got a smile out of you. And now look at you!"

Anna let Bulda tilt her chin up and look in the mirror.

"This town's brought out the best in you, and you've brought out the best in Kristoff Alastair and Temperance Dawn. I am so blessed to have you marrying my boy. He is gonna take care of you, love you, just the way I taught him."

Anna wiped her eyes, thankful she hadn't done her makeup yet. "Mama, I don't know how to be his wife."

"Yes you do, honey," Bulda said cupping her cheeks. "You love. Love with your whole heart, and the rest will fall into place, you'll see. You love my son, and he loves you. You love my granddaughter, and she loves you. Don't you ever go thinking you're not special or worthy of love, because you are! Your love brings out the best in them, and theirs in you. Don't doubt, my love. 'Cause there ain't nothing to doubt."

Bulda wiped away the tears from Anna's eyes. "Thank you Mama," Anna said, a smile on her face. "Will you help me get ready?"

"Of course."

Bulda picked up the brush from the table and began brushing Anna's hair. "I think I want to leave it down," Anna said. "I like it down, and…. And he likes it when I have it down."

"Then down it will be," Bulda smiled.

* * *

"Hey Pop?" Kristoff said, knocking on the door to his parents' room. "Can I chew your ear off for a second?"

"What's on your mind boy?" Pabbie said, nodding to his son.

"I'm nervous Pop," Kristoff confessed, pulling at his tie. "It's not that I doubt her, 'cause I don't. I love her more than anything, but did you ever get that feeling that love might not be enough?"

"Love is always enough, Kristoff," Pabbie said simply. "It's the foundation of everything you do. Even when you're driving each other nuts and the kids are yelling and the dog's dragging mud, you look at her and just sigh. Because she's the end. The person you wake up next to and cuddle into at night. Because no matter how mad you are or how crazy things get, you love her and she loves you. You'll be there for her and she'll be there for you. Love is always enough."

"Yeah, she's it for me, and I'd do anything for her. I'm just nervous… scared. I'm scared I'm gonna mess it up."

"Of course you're nervous, son. I'd worry if you weren't! You don't go making lifelong commitments without a healthy dose of fear."

"We're you this nervous when you married Ma?" Kristoff asked, joining his father on the edge of the bed.

The small man looked down at his bare feet, as much of his feet he could see on the other side of his belly, smiling. "Your uncle Gus had to drag my ass to the church and practically hold me in place. But then I saw her walking towards me, and all the hell we went through to be together washed away."

Kristoff looked down, lost in thought. "You'll be fine, son. I'll drag you down to the dock, have Adam Carter and Penny June sit on you if need be, then I'll walk your bride to you. You'll see."

The old man stood up and clapped his son on the shoulder, and left him to his thoughts. Kristoff leaned his elbows on his knees and stared down at his hands, rubbing a wide thumb over his calloused palm. His thoughts raced a mile a minute, spiraling down a twisted path of what if's and self-doubt. He needed her to ground his mind, needed her to sooth his soul. He needed her to reassure him he was ok. He just needed her and only her. She was the most important person

He stood up and walked briskly to the back door.

* * *

"How're you doing, sweet girl?" Bulda asked as she curled Anna's hair. "Excited?"

"I'm nervous, Mama," Anna murmured, wringing hr hands in her lap.

"Girl, I threw up eight times before I even got my dress on," Bulda laughed. "I had my mama, my one sister and Pabbie's four, all in my face, making sure I was okay."

"When were you okay?"

"When I got to see him. I sneaked a quick look, and for a brief moment we met eyes across the hallway. His mama was super strict on the rules on the bride seeing the groom before the ceremony, but I managed to open the door just as he was walking by with his brother Gus, and I knew. I knew everything was going to be okay. That even with the trimmings and trappings, it was still just about him and I becoming one."

"Mama, do you think they'd notice if I got my look?"

"Not at all, baby girl," Bulda said, patting her cheek. "But let me finish your hair first. And do it before the girls do your make-up."

"Why?"

"Trust me."

* * *

Tillie and Grace Leanna helped the three youngest Bjorgman girls into the dresses Anna made for them. Temperance Dawn adored swishing the skirts of her lilac-laced dress. Lucy May giggled and grinned in her mint green lace. Junebug Carly looked less than thrilled in her dress, despite the lace being her favorite sunny yellow.

"It's a very pretty dress, Miss Anna. Thank you for making it for me," she said looking down at the white dress shoes her mother made her wear.

"But you don't like it?"

Junebug Carly didn't say anything, so Anna reassured her. "It's ok not to like it, Junebug. You won't hurt my feelings."

"It's not that I don't like it, Miss Anna. It's just that I don't like ANY dresses."

"Would you prefer the shirt and tie like Justin Carl and the other boys are wearing?"

"No, yuck! I don't want something hanging from my neck!"

"I see. You just don't like dressing up fancy, is that it?"

Junebug Carly nodded, kicking her feet.

"But sometimes we have to wear stuff we don't like for special occasions."

"I know," Junebug Carly said morosely. "It means a lot to Mama. And Kristoff. And you."

"Tell you what," Anna leaned in, as if she were telling her a secret. "How about you wear your favorite shoes with the dress?"

"My favorite shoes are my bright yellow sneakers," Junebug Carly frowned.

Anna smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Then they'll match."

"You mean it?" Junebug Carly looked up, not quite believing what she heard. "I guess that'll be okay," she said, smiling when she saw Anna smiling too.

"I'm glad," Anna grinned. Junebug Carly gave her a big hug, then ran to change her shoes.

* * *

Kristoff practically flew down the stairs and out to the back porch. He jogged over at his house, his eyes searching for that beautiful red hair, the only redhead in the family. He spotted her in the kitchen and smiled. She was wrapped in a dressing gown with her hair down, and she was smiling. That's her. That's my Anna.

Anna looked up and out the kitchen window. Her eyes locked onto his, and she smiled brighter. He beckoned at her and pointed towards the big willow tree over the water. Anna nodded and slipped out of the kitchen and out to the garden and under the weeping branches of the tree. Kristoff joined her, wrapping his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close. Yes, this is what he needed. He needed her. Just her. They clung to each other, breathing each other in, shutting out the world around them.

"I know I'm not supposed to see the bride before the ceremony, but I couldn't wait."

"Stupid tradition," Anna sighed in his arms.

"Yeah," he nuzzled her hair, careful not to disrupt the curls.

"You holding up?"

"Yeah, Pop's helping me keep it together. How about you? Is Ma driving you nuts?"

"She's so happy. Mama can't stop smiling. It's just been her and I. Tillie and Grace Leanna have been taking care of the little ones. And she's actually helping a lot. I had a... um, well..."

Kristoff leaned back enough to see her chew on her bottom lip. He tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "A what, sweetheart? Tell me."

She sighed, closing her eyes, savoring his touch. "Today's the day we'll be joined forever. I've never been so happy in my entire life. But, you know, the voices... they won't let me go. But I'm fighting them. I'm fighting them for you, Kristoff. For us." She took a slow, steady breath, and opened her luminous eyes. "Because now, when I'm with you, all I see is you. All I hear is you."

His breath caught in his throat. "Anna…"

"The wedding and all, it's nice. It will be nice, but what I want more than anything is to stand by your side on that dock. To stand in front of your… our family, and declare to the world that I am yours and you are mine."

He cupped her cheek and lost himself in her blue eyes. His Anna. His brave, strong Anna. He knew exactly what she meant, because in his heart he wanted that as well. And he knew just what to do. "I, Kristoff Alastair Bjorgman, do take you Anna Marcie to be my wife. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, to honor and adore, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health for as long as we both shall live," he murmured, caressing her face, gazing into her eyes.

"I, Anna Marcie, do take you Kristoff Alastair, to be my husband. To have and hold, to love and to cherish, to honor and adore, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health for as long as we both shall live," she whispered, pressing her hand against his, leaning into his caress.

"There," Kristoff declared. "We're married, just us. The rest is for them."

He felt the flutter go through her, and drank in the joy pouring from her face as she smiled at him. That glorious smile that weakened his knees and made his heart soar. "Good. Now kiss your bride, my husband."

She rolled up onto her tiptoes and he bent down to capture her lips. He'd save the big kiss for the show later, but this kiss… this was tender and kind, romantic and full of endless promise.

They parted ever so slightly, their brows still touching, both smiling soft, contented smiles. "I better get back before Mama skins us both," she grinned, leaning in for one last kiss.

"I love you, My Anna," he kissed her, soft and sweet. "Always." He held her hand until hers slipped from his grip and she vanished behind the curtain of willow branches. But her warmth lingered on his fingers. Her scent, that intoxicating mix of incense and summer berries, filled his senses. He was still nervous about the wedding, and excited, but more than anything he was eager to begin their lives together.

* * *

The afternoon sun was warm and bright, and a gentle breeze blew off of the water. Rayna stood on the dock facing the gathered Bjorgman family and close friends, at least the ones who weren't part of the ceremony. Everyone had their Sunday best on, and all were smiling. Kaylee Quinn, Grace Leanna's girlfriend was entrusted to run the music. Natalie Cole sang Unforgettable as Kristoff walked down the steps of the dock, through the curtain the twins were holding open, with his mother on his arm. She kissed his cheek and patted his hand as he helped to her seat. Stephen Michael sat next to her and held her hand.

Adam Carter and Grace Leanna were next, followed by Mark and Tillie, and then Justin Carl and Junebug Carly. The boys were all wearing white Oxford shirts, gray pants, gray sport coats, black dress shoes and long ties of mint green, soft lilac, or sunny yellow. Except Kristoff, his tie was pink to match Anna's dress. On their lapels they wore white calla lily boutonnieres.

Grace Leanna's dress was mint green while Tillie wore a pink and silver embroidered sari. They carried the pomanders over their wrists. The song changed, and an acoustic guitar cover of Anna's song, as they all knew it, began to play. Temperance Dawn and Lucy May walked down hand in hand in their lilac and mint green dresses, tossing their flower petals all over the place. The gathered crowd chuckled at their enthusiasm. Once they ran out they stood to one side to watch for Anna and Pabbie.

And there she was, on his father's arm. Kristoff felt his mouth go dry at the sight of her. She was a vision in her homemade dress of white satin and soft pink lace, the veil so sheer it didn't conceal her face but softened it, enhanced it. The breeze coming off the water tousled her curled hair. She smiled at him with such ease, such warmth, that it took all Kristoff had in him to not run to her. All of those doubts and fears that had plagued him earlier were gone, vanished like smoke. All he could see was her, and their future.

When they got to the end of the dock, Pabbie glanced at and smiled at his son, who gazed worshipfully at his bride. He looked over at Anna, who also only had eyes for Kristoff. Pabbie took Kristoff's hand, and placed Anna's in it, then turned to go sit next to his own bride.

"Friends and family of Anna Marcie and Kristoff Alastair, welcome," Rayna said. "It is my great honor and privilege to oversee this ceremony, on this day that we all have waited for. Anna and Kristoff wish to thank everyone here for their love and support of their union. The couple have prepared their own vows. Anna Marcie, you may go first."

Anna squeezed Kristoff's hands, drawing strength and confidence from him. "Kristoff, my love, my best friend, I was never one to believe in fairy tales. There was no Prince Charming coming to save me from my tower. There was no fairy godmother to whisk me off on magical adventures. But then I came here to Arendelle. I came here and realized there was some truth to those stories. That dreams do come true, if you wish and work hard enough to achieve them. Today, I stand before you and the world, and I vow to never run when things get hard or out of control. I vow to tell you when I am worried, frightened, or uneasy I vow to share my joys, my sadness, and my passions with you. I vow to stand beside you, to shelter you and support you, through the peaks and valleys that life will throw us. I vow that I will stay and fight for you, and with you. You are my one and only. You are the prince that I never believed in. I want to be your wife and mother to our child, and I vow to believe that I am worthy of your love."

Kristoff gripped Anna's hands in his. "Anna Marcie, I didn't know what to think of you when you first came into my life. I figured you were one of Ma's strays, that she would heal and you'd be on your way. Your gentle kindness and compassion drew me to you. You'd gone through hell, yet still your light shone brighter than the stars, and I swore to myself that you would never go through that again, not while I was around. You were nearly taken from me, and I will do anything to keep you from harm. Anna, today I vow to protect you. I vow to comfort you. To hold you, to love you. To stand by your side, to share in your struggles and triumphs, to catch you when you fall. You are my one and only, my princess. I want you to be my partner, my confidant, my voice of reason, the light to banish my darkness, the mother of our daughter. Sweetheart, you mean the world to me and I will look at you in love and wonder every day for the rest of my life."

Rayna led them through the vows they had already made to each other beneath the willow tree. Love and cherish. Honor and adore. For as long as they both may live. Kristoff slipped the white gold ring onto her finger, kissing her knuckles as he did. Anna did the same with his ring.

"Anna and Kristoff, it is my divine pleasure to say that in accordance to the state of South Carolina and in front of all these witnesses, you are now husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

"May I?" Kristoff whispered, lifting her veil and cupping her cheeks in his hands.

Anna's grin warmed him to his very soul. "You may."

He leaned down and brought her lips to his in a sweet, soft kiss. Their family and friends cheered, and he couldn't help himself. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up in the air, kissing her passionately, twirling her around, their laughter blending in with the cheers.

Temperance Dawn danced up and wriggled her way between her two parents. Kristoff scooped her up, and both parents hugged her close and kissed her cheeks. He set her down, and she walked down the aisle between them, holding both of their hands. Grandma Bulda was right. If you worked hard, your wishes could come true.


	21. Wedding Belle Part 2

**A/N: Thank you for all the love for chapter 18! It was a long time coming and Frenzy and I hope that it delivered! As always, thank you for your patronage and please leave a message!**

 **This chapter will be split in two again as can't seem to let me save it past 10k words.**

* * *

Unbreak You

Chapter 19: Wedding Belle Part 2

Kristoff kept Anna's eyes covered as they walked into the mansion's main room for their reception. He hadn't gone to such great lengths to keep the reception area a surprise to have it spoiled with a random glance. She grinned, so caught up in his excitement that she didn't mind the silliness of it all. "Welcome to your reception my love," Kristoff whispered in her ear and took his hands from her eyes.

"Oh my…" she gasped. The room was filled with balloons and lights. On the floor, hanging from the ceiling. Pinks, purples, and greens everywhere. On the tables were vases of white roses and colorful candles, with ceramic bowls of dark cherries at every place setting. And surrounding them were their family and friends, smiling and clapping. Anna covered her mouth, but couldn't hide her smile. Kristoff seemed satisfied with her response, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

Tillie and Grace Leanna hurried up and grabbed her hands, pulling her over to where Rayna stood with Jillian Sanderson. "I'm glad it didn't take five years," Rayna hugged her tight. Anna hugged her back, murmuring "Thank you" over and over again.

Kristoff took the opportunity to duck into the kitchen. He changed out of his sport coat and into his chef's jacket, the one Anna bought for him last Christmas, and brought out their wedding cake. "Mommy! Mommy, come look!"

Temperance Dawn tugged on Anna's hand and practically bounced over to the cake. Anna gasped at the vision before her: A four tiered cake of chocolate and cherry, covered in pastel pink fondant and topped with his handmade sugar roses, butterflies, and lilies. She smiled in wonder at Kristoff, who beamed with pride. "Mommy? Grandma said that you and Daddy get the first piece 'cause of tradition, but can I have the second piece please?"

"Of course, Papillon," Anna grinned.

"Good. I want to give it to Lucy May, then get another piece for me." Anna leaned down and kissed her daughter's cheek, so proud of her giving heart.

Kaylee Quinn turned on the sound system, and soft background music played. Bulda and the others set out large trays of cupcakes, fresh cut veggies, Asian meatballs, cheese, fruit, and cheesecake bites. People grabbed drinks and food and chattered away, sharing in the happiness.

Kristoff slipped back into his sport coat and walked up to his bride. "Up for a dance, Mrs. Bjorgman?" he asked, his smile warm. Anna smiled back and walked with him to the little dance floor just as the first bars of Nat King Cole's Unforgettable began. And just like they had at the Cabaret all those months ago, they danced together, losing themselves in the music. Anna rested her head against Kristoff's chest, their clasped hands over his heart, his other hand on her back, holding her close. He sang to her this time too, and Anna clung to him, blissfully happy.

Pabbie and Bulda stood off to the side, his arms wrapped around her. Kristoff was their first of their children to be married, and they were both emotional wrecks, even if they didn't show it.

"One down, old man," Bulda said, watching Anna and Kristoff dance together. "Eight more to go."

"Didn't think he'd be the first, to be honest," Pabbie muttered.

"We did good with him," Bulda said with a smile on her face. "He always had a soft heart, even with all those years in the system. And after what that girl put him through, I figured he'd be in that trailer for the rest of his life."

"Eh. He's made of stronger stuff. Was a bundle of nerves earlier, though."

"So was Anna. They really were made for each other."

"Remind you of anyone?" he asked.

"You, you old softie," she grinned up at him.

Pabbie kissed her temple and Bulda sighed, happy and sad at the same time. While she'd never admit it to anyone, she was sad to see Kristoff move on with his life. She liked being the one he came to with his concerns and fears. Now he had Anna and he was so happy.

"He's still your baby, love," Pabbie murmured, always able to know just what she needed to hear. "He's still going to need you. Just like all them foolhardy kids we got."

"I hope so. I'm glad they're staying close."

"Me, too. Dance with me?"

"Always," Bulda smiled, and they joined the newlyweds on the dance floor. That signaled to the other couples that they could join in as well. Kristoff danced with his mother while Anna danced with Pabbie. Others joined in as well, taking turns with the happy couple.

Kristoff was dancing with Grace Leanna, putting up with her good-natured comments about his two left feet, when he felt a tiny tug on his coat. He looked down and saw Temperance Dawn smiling bright. Grace Leanna gladly let her niece cut in, and Kristoff swept his daughter up into his arms.

"Did I do good, Daddy?"

"What do you mean, butterfly?"

"Well, I wished Miss Anna could be my mommy, and I worked hard at it like Grandma said you do to make wishes come true. So did I do good?"

Kristoff smiled with tears in his eyes and held his daughter close. "You did perfect, Tempe."

"I love you, Daddy. And I love Mommy too."

"Me too, butterfly. Me too."

Pabbie danced with each of his daughters, Tillie first. "Getting any ideas, girl?"

"Don't be giving away any secrets, Dad," Tillie admonished him.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Do you think he will? Ask me, that is?"

"Do you want him to?"

Tillie looked over at Kevin, who was laughing with the twins and Stephen Michael near the cake table.

"He's a good man, Matilda Louise. He's strong enough to stand up to you, and he brings out the best in you, too. He knows who you are through and through, and he loves you for it. So when he asked for my blessing, with eyes wide open and full of love, I was proud to give it to him. To you both."

Tillie looked at her father, tears in her eyes. She hugged him tight as they danced. "Thank you, Daddy," she murmured.

Anna loved being around people, she truly did. But she still wasn't comfortable being the center of attention. She smiled and chatted with her family and friends, buoyed by the love and good wishes, but after a while she slipped towards the corner and hid behind a column of balloons.

Kristoff spotted her retreat, and excused himself from chatting with his best man Mark. He strolled over to the beautiful pink and white dress hiding behind the balloons. He took the hand of the even more beautiful woman wearing it and kissed her knuckles.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?" he asked, gently clasping her petite hands in his.

"Needed a minute," she said, squeezing his hands. "It was starting to be too much."

"They're loud, but they mean well," Kristoff said, opening his arms.

Anna gratefully stepped into his embrace, resting her head against his chest. "I know, and I love them for it," she signed, the looked up at him. "Our family."

They stood that way for several long moments, alone but together, swaying to the music. Adam Carter and Penny June spotted them and were about to run up and pull them out for another dance, but Tillie and Grace Leanna stopped them. The four siblings smiled at their big brother and his new bride and left them in peace.

"I just thought of something," Kristoff murmured into Anna's hair.

"What's that, my husband?"

Kristoff paused, a goofy grin spreading across his face as he processed that. "I will never get tired of hearing that. My wife."

Anna giggled and smiled, then burrowed deeper into his embrace.

"Yeah, well, I just remembered that we don't have to stay for the entire party."

"You know, I believe you're right."

"Why don't we go sit down, have some cake, then we can get packed up to go away for a few days?"

"I like the sound of that," Anna said with a smile. Her thoughts went to the suitcase she had packed in their bedroom, and to the lingerie set she purchased just for him. She rolled up on her toes to press a sweet kiss to his cheek.

Kristoff made sure everything inside the trailer was locked down tight before hooking it up to his pickup truck. They decided to only take the weekend away from Temperance, and take his trailer to their beach and just spend the time alone. He packed up the grill and enough food for the few days that they would be gone.

"Be good for Grandma and Aunt Tillie," Anna said, wrapping her arms around Temperance Dawn. "We'll be back in a few days."

"I will, Mommy. Auntie Lucy and I are going to have a sleepover with Junebug Carly," Temperance Dawn said. "She's gonna read her Junie B. Jones books to us, and we're gonna dig for worms in the backyard."

"They better be for fishing, not for Justin Carl and Stephen Michael's beds."

"Yes, Mommy." She looked over at Junebug Carly and shook her head.

"I'll have my phone but reception is spotty," Kristoff said. "Texts might come through so if you need us, just try."

"We're going to have a grand ol' time," Bulda said. "Don't worry about us. Have a wonderful trip."

Anna stood on the low rise and looked out over the ocean of stars in the night sky, listened to the gentle crash of the waves, tried to let the peace and the happiness snuff the fear bubbling in her gut. Kristoff finished setting up the trailer, and then walked to stand beside his wife. He saw the tension in her hunched shoulders, so he gently took her hand in his. "Sweetheart?"

Anna leaned against his arm, letting his presence ground her. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"Because I'm still scared."

"No need to apologize for that," Kristoff said warmly, wrapping a burly arm around her shoulders.

"But I shouldn't be."

"Well, what's scaring you?"

Anna looked down, gnawing on her lower lip. "What if things change now? What if I'm not enough?"

"Oh, my Anna," Kristoff turned and faced her, cradling her jaw in his palms, wiping away the tears she didn't even realize were falling. "Anna, you're more than just enough, you're amazing. And yes, things will change, but only for the better." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles, right next to her ring. "This is more than just a symbol of our marriage. It's a promise. It's my promise that whatever life throws at us, the good and the bad, you will never face it alone. I am here for you. For only you. Anna, my northern star."

He really was her lighthouse, leading her out of her dark thoughts. She leaned into the hand still cupping her cheek, the tears that fell now were happy ones. "I love you, Kristoff."

He smiled softly at his bride, and sealed his promise with a kiss.

Anna collapsed against Kristoff's chest, gasping for breath. She closed her eyes and listened to the thunder of his racing heart, his struggle to rein in his own breathing. He shifted beneath her and she felt his fingers slide up her spine and out over her scarred shoulder blades, and she practically purred with the sensation. How she loved his touch.

Kristoff turned and gathered her close, savoring her skin pressed against his own. He gently brushed her sweat-dampened hair out of her face and kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger. She was limp in his arms, her legs tangled in his, her entire being radiant with love and contentment, and he basked in the glow of her light. They laid entwined long after their hearts calmed and their breathing returned to normal, neither wanting to let go.

He pulled back just enough to gaze lovingly down at her, and saw her eyes soft with thought, her lower lip wedged between her teeth. He nuzzled her cheek and kissed her jaw. "What's on your mind, sweetheart?"

"You," she murmured, and smiled when his arms tightened around her. "I was just wondering..." she trailed off, distracted by his lips on her neck.

"Yes?"

"You always ask me, before we, hmmm, before we're intimate."

"Yes."

"But we're married."

"Hmmm, yes," she felt his face stretch into a smile, and she couldn't keep the giddy grin off her face either.

"So why do you ask?"

"Because I love you. Because you can say no."

"I... wait, what?" she looked up, confused. "Why would I..."

He leaned back again and gazed lovingly at her. "You could be tired, or not feeling well, mad at me, or just not in the mood. You're your own person, Anna, always. Just because you've said yes in the past doesn't mean it's yes all the time. You're my wife, not my plaything. We're partners, remember? Equals. I will never use you for my own needs, or take what you won't freely give. I love you."

He watched, entranced, as a thousand emotions raced across her face. Tears pooled in her sky-blue eyes, and a gentle tremor trembled through her entire body. He cupped her cheek, concerned, drying her tears with his thumb. But she surprised him and whispered, "Say it again."

He brought his other hand up to cup her jaw, cradling her head in his palms. "I love you, my princess. I love you so much."

Her eyes darkened and flooded with raw, urgent need. "Ask me," she keened, breathless as she caressed his chest and abdomen, digging the pads of her fingers into his waist and pulling him closer to her. "Please, my Kristoff, ask me again."

"Please," he groaned, hard and hungry and wanting her again. "My Anna, my love, my life. Please let me love you."

She kissed him deeply, passionately, and pulled him on top of her. He returned her kiss and eagerly lost himself to her fiery sweetness once more. "Yes. Love me."


	22. Jesse Mitchell Cameron

**A/N: Well this was a hard one to write.**

* * *

 **Unbreak You**

Chapter 20: Jesse Mitchell Cameron

An older-model black sedan pulled up in front of Anna and Kristoff's house five minutes early, though the little family was more than ready. Anna smiled as she looked out the curtains. "Kristoff! Tempe! They're here!" she called. She smoothed out her dress, adjusting her locket. The little boy they registered to foster had finally arrived and Anna couldn't be more excited.

His name was Jesse Mitchell Cameron and he was seven years old. From what Anna read in his file he was practically a smaller version of Kristoff: shy, quiet, abandoned by his father, his mother having recently passed away due to illness. Both Anna and Kristoff jumped at the chance to foster him.

They made the third bedroom upstairs into a haven for a little boy: his own bed, dresser, drawing table, bookshelf, and a chest for toys. His window looked out over the yard and into Stephen Michael and Justin Carl's bedroom. She did that on purpose; she already had Kristoff install the pulley system she asked Pabbie to rig up so the three boys could send whatever they wanted between the two houses. She was sure they'd live to regret doing so someday soon, but she wanted this little boy to feel right at home with the family.

But as close as she hoped the boys would be, Anna requested (and was backed up by Bulda) that Jesse be given a chance to acclimate to the family at his own pace.

"Let Jesse come to you," Anna said, placing a hand each on Justin Carl's and Stephen Michael's shoulders. "He's not used to having such a big family and I don't want to overwhelm him. Remember what it was like for you the first time you came home. It was scary being around all these new people. Invite him to join you, but don't be surprised if he doesn't right away, ok?"

The boys understood and promised to take it slow. Getting Bulda to do the same would be impossible.

The social worker and Jesse walked up the steps to the house, where Anna, Kristoff and Temperance waited eagerly to greet him.

"Jesse, this is Mr. and Mrs. Bjorgman and their little girl Temperance," Rita said, kneeling down to his level.

Anna had never seen a sadder face on a little boy. Jesse had shaggy blonde curls that had been left to grow long. It suited him. He had dark brown eyes that threatened to drop tears at any moment. Anna wanted take him in her arms and tell him that he didn't need to be afraid any more. That he was home. And home is where he'd stay. But she'd heed her own advice and let him come to her in his own time.

"Hi Jesse," Anna said, emulating the social worker and also kneeling down. "My name's Anna, and this is Kristoff and Temperance Dawn. Do you want to come inside? Temperance helped make you some welcome cookies. Would you like to have some?"

After careful consideration Jesse nodded, "Yes, please," and the family went into the living room to get to know one another.

Temperance, being a perfect big/little sister, put several cookies on a plate and brought them to Jesse. He took one of the cookies in trembling little fingers and mumbled a quiet, "Thank you."

"Mommy? Can I give Jesse his welcome present now?" she asked. When Temperance found out she was getting a brother, she asked Kristoff if she could order him his own Stitch plushie. While hers was Stitch in his "dog" form, the one she got for Jesse was the alien version in his spacesuit.

"Of course, Papillon. Please go get it," Anna smiled.

Temperance ran up to her room and brought down a box wrapped in shiny blue paper. It was covered in more bows than anyone ever thought possible. "Jesse this is for you. I helped wrap it special, just for you."

Jesse gaped at the box. It had been so long since he had been given a present that the little boy began to cry as he pulled away the paper. Anna draped her arm over Jesse's shoulders as he opened the box, removing the Stitch plush. He hugged it to him and smiled at his sister.

"Thank you Temperance," Jesse said. "Thank you Miss Anna, Kristoff."

"Tempe, why don't you go show Jesse his room and the rest of the house while Daddy and I talk to Miss Rita?" Anna suggested.

"Yes, Mommy. Let's start in the playroom, Jesse," Tempe said, taking her brother's hand. "Have you ever played Candy Land? Junebug and Lucy and I play all the time. You're going to love it here. We have sleepovers at Grandma and Grampie's house all the time. They live just next door…"

Temperance's eager voice drifted off as the pair disappeared into the playroom. "Such a polite little boy," Anna smiled. "But so sad and scared, too, the poor thing."

"Yes," Rita sighed. "The group home he was in is one of the best, but he had a terrible time of it." Kristoff held Anna's hand as Rita told them about Jesse's history. "This is his first permanent placement since his mama passed away. His father signed away his rights a few years ago when he left them both, and we have no contact with him. Jesse has a grandmother but she will not be able to care for him. She is open to having Jesse adopted. She wants what's best for Jesse and she knows that it's not with her. She only requests that she still gets to be a part of his life."

"We'd never deny Jesse access to his bio family. We'll put in the petition as soon as we're able," Anna said, patting Kristoff's arm. "We don't want him to be tossed about. We want him and we want him to know that."

"I will be with you every step of the way. Jesse is a good kid. I want to see him happy and prospering in a good home," Rita said.

There was a knock on their door. Kristoff inwardly groaned, going to answer whatever member of the family saw fit to barge in on them, though he had a solid guess who it would be.

"There's my boy! I just wanted to bring over dinner for you," Bulda said, standing on the porch. "Didn't want you guys going without, what with being busy once the little angel gets here."

"Ma, do you see the sedan out front?" Kristoff said, turning his mother by her shoulders to look at Rita's car. "Jesse's here and you're breaking our agreement to stay away until we're ready. Now, I love you, but I am a grown ass man, married a full month now, and now have two kids my own. I am perfectly capable of taking care of them. Thank you for dinner and we will see you in a few days, all right?"

"Kristoff Alastair, you can't keep me from my grandbabies," Bulda protested. "That just ain't natural!"

"Ma, I love you, but go home."

"I just want to be the first to meet him!"

"Ma. Home. Now."

"See if I make you cookies again," Bulda muttered, walking down the steps.

"I can make my own damn cookies, Ma!"

"No you can't! Cakes yes, cupcakes yes, cheesecakes yes but not cookies."

Kristoff shook his head ruefully and watched his mother go back into her house. He returned to the kitchen, putting the casserole dish in the fridge with the ten others his mother had blessed them with over the last week.

Anna and Rita were at the table, going over the mountain of paperwork they needed to sign in order to foster Jesse. She set them in piles for his signature. The most important was the writ of adoption: their intent to legally adopt Jesse if no other family members stepped forward to claim the little boy within the next six months.

Kristoff hoped they could keep the little guy. There was something about him that touched his heart, that echoed his own past and pain. Kristoff hoped he could help Jesse avoid the mistakes he made growing up, help him learn to cope with what he's been through. He hoped Tempe would bond with a brother all her own. And he hoped another child to love would help Anna cope with her own grief and loss.

* * *

Jesse woke up a few days later to a tapping against his bedroom window. He opened it and looked outside. Down below, tossing pebbles at his window, were Justin Carl and Stephen Michael. His new cousins had their bikes, fishing gear, and helmets on, along with a spare set of everything for him. "Come on Jesse!" the little boys called up. "We're going fishing!"

"I have to ask Miss Anna first," Jesse called back, a big smile on his face.

"If we don't get to the pond first the McIntire brothers will take the good spots and all the good fish will hide!" Justin Carl shouted.

"Ask Miss Anna for some brownies, too!" Stephen Michael added. "She makes the best brownies."

"Ok, I'll be right down!" Jesse closed his window and quickly got dressed in the clothes Kristoff and Miss Anna had taken him shopping for earlier that week. There was a lot of denim and plaid in his new dresser, much like Kristoff's. He found his shoes and thundered downstairs.

Anna was in the kitchen. She'd spotted the boys in the yard, so was busy making snack bags for them. Temperance was at the table, trying to color and eat a bowl of cereal at the same time, it wasn't going well.

"Miss Anna, may I go fishing with Justin and Stephen?" Jesse asked, his voice still soft and nervous around her.

"Of course, thank you for asking." Anna replied, her bright smile warming Jesse's heart. Miss Anna was very kind to him, though he felt weird about having a new mom.

She packed the snacks and water bottles into his backpack, and walked with Jesse out to where Justin Carl and Stephen Michael were waiting. "Please stay out of the pond this time, boys. Your Mama never could get that slime out of your clothes last time."

"Yes, Miss Anna," the boys said in unison. They jumped on their bikes and headed down the road to the pond.

"And leave whatever frogs you find there!" Anna yelled after them. She watched the boys until they rode out of sight.

It was the first day of Spring Break, and all the kids were home. Bulda was the kind of mom who kicked her kids out of the house for as long as possible, loading them up with snacks and water to keep them alive and out of her pantry. She believed children should explore their world, play in the dirt, make their own mistakes and think their way out of them. To the other parents of Arendelle, the Bjorgmans were the odd ones out. They let their kids ride their bikes all over town, go fishing by themselves, and basically roam free. But in all honesty, the entire town looked after all the little ones. Bulda had enough friends in town that would gladly and have brought back children by their ears when they needed it. Some needed it more than others. Tillie once wanted to find the "little birdie" who kept tattling on her.

By mid-afternoon the three boys came trudging back, covered in mud, slime, algae of some kind and lowered faces. Jesse looked ready to cry. Their little minds were busy trying to work out the excuse for why they looked that way. They didn't have much time, as Bulda met them on the porch, arms crossed over her large chest, hose at the ready as if she knew they'd come back filthy.

"All right, who's first?" she asked ominously.

"Well," Justin Carl started, then cringed when Bulda glared at him. Nothing good came from explanations that started with 'well.' "Stephen Michael hooked a large fish, a real whopper! But it got caught on a log. When Jesse and I tried to help him out, we kinda lost our balance in the mud."

Bulda shook her head, pointing Jesse towards his own house as she turned the hose on her own boys. Jesse walked with his bike across the yard to his house. Temperance and Lucy May were on the porch having a tea party, while Junebug Carly colored. Anna was on the porch swing reading, keeping an eye on the girls.

"Miss Anna?" he called from the yard, staring at his mud covered shoes.

"What is it, Jesse?" Anna said looking up, covering her mouth to hide her grin. "Oh my! Let me guess, Justin saw a wasp and you all dove into the pond to get away from it?"

"No, Miss Anna. Stephen Michael's hook got snared on a log," Jesse said, still looking down at his shoes. "I'm sorry I went in the water when I wasn't supposed to."

"Jesse, love, I'm not mad," Anna said. "You're little boys. All little children are supposed to get dirty. Go around back to the mud room. We'll just throw your clothes into the wash there and get you into the bath."

"Thank you," Jesse said, still so standoffish towards her. It killed Anna that he wasn't connecting with her. She knew he was very close to his mom and that it would take time for him to open up to another mother figure, but it still hurt. She would never admit it to anyone but herself, but she was jealous of how quickly Jesse bonded with Kristoff. It made sense; he was so starved for a father that just being around Kristoff helped him. They already started cooking and watching cooking shows together. While it made Anna nervous that Kristoff let him chop veggies for dinner, she knew they both needed it.

Anna filled the laundry sink while Jesse stripped out of his dirty, muddy, pond scum-crusted shorts, shirt, shoes, and socks. "Did you boys rescue the hook?"

"Yes ma'am,"

"Then I'd say it was worth bringing half the pond back with you," she smiled at him. He blushed, but she caught the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

"All right, little frog," Anna teased. "Up to the tub with you. I'll get these started." She let him run up the back steps while she dumped half a bottle of Spray and Wash into the basin. She heard the door slam and the water start running. She trusted Jesse to start his bath without her. He was at that age where he didn't want Mom to be in the bathroom with him, and she respected his boundaries. She pulled a towel from the linen closet and headed inside. On her way up to the bathroom she reminded the girls to stay on the porch or to tell her if they went over to Bulda's.

Anna set clean clothes on the counter in the bathroom, giving Jesse his privacy. She heard Junebug chattering, and then the giggles of Lucy May and Temperance in the kitchen, then the slamming of the screen door. The sounds of a happy home, a dream coming true.

* * *

It had been a month since Jesse joined their little family. He seemed to be settling in well enough. Temperance Dawn played with him and shared her toys with him and included him in everything she could. He got on well with the younger of Pabbie and Bulda's kids, the elders all doted on their new nephew, and Bulda and Pabbie were bound and determined to spoil him with attention. Plus he and Kristoff were as thick as thieves. The only person he didn't seem to click with was Anna.

Anna knew it would take time, and she knew she could be as patient as he needed her to be. But it still made her sad. Made her question her methods. Made her doubt her worth.

And now her husband was acting strange. Kristoff had been in Charleston all day, but wouldn't tell her what he was up to. It was too soon for a Costco run, and the catering business didn't have any client meetings. He came back tired, and was moving weird. He didn't eat much dinner. In fact, he had winced slightly, even flinched, when she hugged him when he finally returned home.

Anna has never had cause to doubt him, but her self-doubt dredged up all those old habits. Kristoff wasn't being himself, and that was enough for Anna to feel insecure and wonder if maybe, just maybe, things really were too good to be true. She was failing as a mother, and now as a wife, too?

He tucked the kids in while she washed her face, so he missed their usual evening routine. Plus he kept his back to her the whole time they got ready for bed. In the Before, that meant she was being cheated on yet again. But no! That wasn't Kristoff! He loved her with every fiber of his being. But what if the honeymoon was over? What if… She pulled back the covers and slid between the soft cotton, staring at her husband's back. Her mind reeled, the voices tormenting her with ever-worsening possibilities.

"Where were you today?" she asked, softly, trying to keep the fear in her voice from coming out.

"I… I did something today," Kristoff began, not turning around. Anna curled in on herself, stomach roiling. _Here it comes. It's over._

"I went and… Anna?" Kristoff turned, and blinked when he saw her so small and so scared in their bed. He rushed over to her side, knelt down beside her, and placed one big hand on her tiny shoulder. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Anna forgot her fears when she saw the huge bandage covering his chest. "Oh my god Kristoff…" she breathed anxiously, sitting up, her fingers hovering over the taped gauze.

"Hey hey, it's ok!" he soothed. "I'm ok, honest. I just, uh, well," he stammered. "I was getting my tattoo done."

"A tattoo?" Anna blinked.

"Yeah," he blushed. "It's been something I've been thinking about ever since you came into my life. It's been a year since you came to Arendelle, and the business didn't have any events today, so I went to Charleston to get it done. Took most of the day to do it, but I think you're going to love it."

He carefully peeled the bandage off and Anna gasped. The piece took up most of his left pec. It was a lighthouse in a harbor at night. At the base of the lighthouse she could make out the letters of her name. Dark blues, purples and grays made up the night sky. A single star shone in the sky above the lighthouse. Polaris, the North Star. It was everything that they were to each other, and it was permanently etched over his heart.

"Every time I look in the mirror and see this on my chest it'll remind me where my home is. Where my heart is. Here. With you," he said as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "I love you, my Anna. My North Star. My everything."

"You got a tattoo," Anna breathed, not touching it but intently staring at it. "Without telling me?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Kristoff said, cupping her cheek in his palm. "When this one heals, my artist has something planned for my shoulder for Temperance. And when we adopt Jesse, I'll get something for him as well."

"It's beautiful," Anna hung her head, shame staining her cheeks crimson.

"Anna? Did I mess up again?"

She shook her head, unable to look up. "You were acting strange, and I-I thought," her breath hitched as she bit her lip. "It drudged up…"

"Anna," Kristoff said as he tipped her chin up and gazed lovingly into her tear-filled eyes. "Don't go there because you know I would _never_ do that to you. Never."

"I know," she husked out, overwhelmed with relief, gratitude, and an unhealthy dose of shame.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I shouldn't have worried you."

"No, I'm sorry, Kristoff," Anna breathed, fighting back tears and failing. He did something nice for her, and she suspected the worst of him. When would she be free of this negativity, this self-doubt, this… paranoia!? "I'm so sorry, Kristoff."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. "There's nothing to forgive, my princess." His thumbs gently trailed along her cheekbones, wiping away her tears. Kristoff somehow understood. Of course he understood. "We've both come so far, but we still have so far to go."

Anna sniffled and smiled shyly up at him. "Together?"

"Always, my love. Always."

* * *

Anna set out the bottles of wine and bowls of popcorn for Girl's Night In. Their first since the wedding and the arrival of Jesse. Anna's children were next door with the others and Kristoff promised to be hidden as he didn't have anywhere else to go. Anna figured he's keep himself in the basement or the attic going through Miss Anita's things to decide what they would keep or sell. She had told them that they didn't have to keep anything they didn't want, she wouldn't be offended.

Tillie and Grace Leanna would be bringing the wine and a pile of movies like they had the many times before. They were working their way through the '80's rom-coms as Anna had seen nearly none of them. They were on _When Harry Met Sally_ , Grace Leanna's personal favorite. The three girls settled on the various couches and chairs in the den, munching on popcorn and other snacks they managed to find throughout the house.

"So, Anna," Grace Leanna began, talking over the movie. "How was the honeymoon?"

"It was nice and quiet," Anna said, smiling.

"I'm sure it wasn't that quiet," Tillie teased. "Don't think we can't hear you some nights."

Anna blushed and threw a handful of popcorn at her best friend. If anyone else had said something like that Anna would have been so ashamed and embraassed. But it was Tillie and Tillie loved to tease and with time Anna learned to give it right back.

"Don't think we didn't hear the sirens after your last date with Kevin," Anna said, a big smile on her face. "I'm sure you 'accidently' kicked the siren and lights on."

"He's got to be closer to proposing," Grace Leanna said. "I know Daddy gave him his blessing two months ago at the wedding. What's he waiting on?"

"God if I know," Tillie said, slouching down. "It's not like we have a birthday or anniversary coming up."

"There is the Memorial Day barbecue," Grace Leanna said. "He might want to do it in front of the whole family."

"That's not Kevin's style. He's going to spring it on me like all casual and nonchalant. 'We should get married' is exactly what he's going to say."

Anna looked down and smiled. Tillie was dead wrong and she couldn't wait to see her face when his epic plan came to fruition. From what Kevin had told her so far it was going to be something out of a Bollywood movies and he'd even learned to dance in the traditional Indian style and how to ask her to marry him in Punjabi. It was going to be epic and romantic.

* * *

Pabbie was in the garage tinkering with the '65 Ford Fairline he bought nine years ago, shortly after they adopted Kristoff. It was supposed to be father/son project for them, but most of the time it just sat gathering dust. Sure, they worked on it, but with Kristoff going to culinary school, becoming a father himself, the kidnapping, then Anna and Kristoff's newfound life, the car seemed to be less and less of a priority to him.

Adam Carter had no mechanical inclination, so he was more of a hindrance than a help. The girls, while knowing how to take care of their cars because Pabbie insisted that they learn, didn't have the desire to rebuild a car with their father. And the younger ones just weren't interested yet. So that left Pabbie alone in the garage with his books on tape while he rebuilt the engine. He was happy for it, as any bit of quiet in a household as large as his was a blessing.

He pulled himself out from under the classic Ford just as Bulda walked in the open garage door. "Hey old man," she grinned at him.

"Hey yourself, gorgeous," he grinned back, wiping his hands on a shop rag. She'd been calling him that since he started courting her decades ago.

"Dinner's in ten. No grease on my table cloth this time, please."

"I'll do my best," he kissed her cheek, then pinched her bottom. "Love you, old lady."

She swatted at him, still grinning. He leaned against the garage door and watched her walk back up to the house. She always did make his head spin.

He turned to put away his tools, shaking his head. It was throbbing, which was off because he didn't get headaches often. He grabbed at a wrench, but dropped it on his foot, his hand suddenly numb. He grumbled, shaking it off like he usually did.

Pabbie began to unzip his coveralls, knowing better than to come into her house with them on. He struggled with the zipper, fumbling with hands that refused to cooperate. He stared down at them, his eyes swimming. "Bulda?" he mumbled, though his mouth refused to form her name. "Bulda?"

He turned and stumbled toward the door, falling to his knees before he could cross the threshold. He tried to pull himself back up, but nothing worked as it should. He felt the darkness thunder around him like the roar of a freight train, and all he could do was reach for the door and sigh, "Bulda…."

* * *

Bulda stood at the kitchen window, looking out at the garage. It wasn't like Pabbie to not be in right after she called him to dinner. Maybe he got distracted by something he just had to tinker with, the old fool.

"Tillie, keep an eye on things please," Bulda said, drying her hands. "That old man is making me worry."

She opened the back door and looked over to her son's home. They were gathering on their patio for dinner as well. Temperance waved to her grandma with a big smile on her face. Jesse waved, too. Bulda waved back, smiling despite her growing concern. "Pabbie, what are you…" she stepped into the garage and let out a soul-burning scream. Pabbie was face down on the ground at her feet.

"KRISTOFF!" Bulda shrieked, dropping to her knees and shaking his shoulders. "Don't you die on me old man! _KRISTOFF_!"

Kristoff heard his mother's scream and jumped off his own porch. Tillie heard her mother's screams as well and bolted from the house. They ran around the corner and the sight before them stopped the both of them cold: their father unconscious on the ground, their mother holding his head to her chest, sobbing and rocking and begging him to wake up. Tillie rushed to her side while Kristoff dropped his phone and struggled to pick it back up, forcing his fingers to dial 911.

"Daddy! No, Daddy, talk to me," Tillie pleaded. " _Daddy_?!"

"Please," Kristoff whimpered, his big voice terrified. "Send an ambulance. I think my father's had a stroke."

"Do something, Kristoff, please," she begged.

He tossed the phone to Tillie, who held it to her ear as she clung to her father's lifeless body. Kristoff laid him flat and put an ear to his chest, desperate to hear a heartbeat. He looked up at his mother and sister, eyes wide and terrified as he shook his head. They cried louder as he started CPR.

Anna, sensing something was very wrong, took Jesse and Temperance into the house and sat them in front of the TV. She started whatever movie was in the player, turning up the volume louder than she would have ever allowed normally. Her own hands were shaking; she knew something was very wrong.

She hurried outside and over to the main house. Penny June and the younglings were clustered on the porch, all of them looking frightened. Anna shooed them back inside and set them up like she did her own two: in the family room with their dinners and the TV up loud. She told Penny June to keep everyone inside, and promised she'd come back as quickly as she could. The teenager nodded, so Anna rushed out the back door.

Her heart sank when she heard the sirens getting louder. The paramedics and Kevin's squad car rolled up. Kevin wasn't in uniform, he had to have been heading to the station when the call came over the radio. He pulled a sobbing Tillie into his arms and held her tight while the paramedics oversaw her father.

"Tillie?" Anna rushed to her best friend. "Tillie, what happened?!"

"Anna?" Kristoff's voice called to her. Kevin held Tillie closer and jerked his head towards Kristoff. She nodded and hurried over to him. He looked exhausted, terrified. "I'm going with Mama. Keep the children here. They don't need to see this. Of all the things they've seen in their young lives, they don't need to see this."

"Kristoff…?" she began, confused, until she saw the paramedics wheeling Pabbie out on a gurney. "Oh no…"

Tillie escaped Kevin's grasp and ran to join her mother and brother in the ambulance.

"No Matilda Louise," Bulda said, through her tears. "I need you to stay here for now. I need you to call…to call the ladies. Have them start praying. Do not leave this house until I call you."

"Mama, I'll make the calls," Anna spoke up. She would do anything so that Tillie could be with her father. "Don't worry, Mama. I will take care of it. Focus on Daddy."

"Mama, you and Tillie ride with Pop. I'll bring the car," Kristoff said, trying to keep it together. Bulda nodded, and stepped up into the ambulance right on Tillie's heels. Both women held his hands while the paramedics continued their work. The doors closed and, sirens wailing, the ambulance drove away.

* * *

Once the ambulance left, Anna brought her children over to Bulda's. She sat them all in front of the TV and popped a movie into the player, nothing that would invoke sadness of losing a parent, but one of laughter and fun.

Grace Leanna and Penny June huddled in the kitchen together, waiting for Adam Carter to arrive. "Are you sure, Anna?" Grace Leanna asked, tears standing in her eyes.

"Go," Anna said to them. "We'll be fine here. I watch the little ones. Go be with Mama and Pabbie. They're going to need us all."

Adam Carter honked his car horn from the driveway. Penny June ran out, while Grace Leanna lingered. Anna squeezed her friend's hand and said, "Go. I've got them." Grace gave her a quick hug, then hurried after Penny June. Anna stood at the patio door and watched them drive away.

She turned and sat in Bulda's kitchen, making calls to her friends to let them know that Pabbie wasn't doing well. They were shocked and supportive, asking questions, promising to let others know, widening the circle of prayers and well wishes. She worked her way through Bulda's address book. It took a while; Bulda knew everyone.

Almost two hours and still no word from the hospital. Anna was desperate for news, but didn't know what to do. She had to do something, but how was she supposed to tackle the well-nigh impossible task of telling a special needs ten-year-old, three seven-year-olds, a six-year-old and a five-year-old that their father and grandfather was very ill, and to do so in a way that didn't build unrealistic hope or shatter their little hearts? Before joining them in the playroom where the movie was nearing its ending, Anna browsed through all of Bulda's books. The woman had a book for everything and there was one about loss.

Anna turned off the movie and gathered the little ones near her, Temperance claiming her mother's lap first. "I know you're scared for Pabbie and want to know what's happening. I will do my best to answer your questions."

"Where's Daddy?" Lucy May asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Pabbie's at the hospital, and he's very sick." Anna said, holding the little girl's hand. "Mama Bulda and your older brothers and sisters are there with him."

"Is he gonna be ok?" Justin Carl asked, lip trembling.

Anna sighed, holding her other hand out to him. "I don't know, honey. But he's not alone, and the doctors will do their best. And no matter what happens, you know that Pabbie loves each and every one of you. You are all very special to him."

"What do we do, Miss Anna?" Junebug Carly whimpered, nuzzling into Anna's right side, Lucy May on her left.

"We hope. We think good thoughts about Pabbie, what he means to us, what he taught us. What's something Pabbie taught you, Lucy May?"

"Never go to bed mad at your brother," Lucy May said.

"Broccoli tastes better with melted cheese, lots of cheese," Justin Carl said, a hesitant smile on his face.

"Mud on Mommy's white tablecloths will come clean with soap and water, just like little boys," Stephen Michael smiled.

"Sometimes bad things happen but as long as you have your brothers and sisters you'll get through it," Junebug Carly said.

"Always read a story before bedtime." Temperance Dawn murmured.

"Take your time with stuff and do it right. You'll have more fun and you'll save time too," Jesse added quietly.

"See? All wonderful things. Now let's watch another movie and keep thinking good thoughts." Anna put another light-hearted movie in the player and sat on the couch. It didn't take long for all the kids to huddle around her, frightened but hopeful. She prayed someone would call with good news.

* * *

Kristoff doesn't remember much. Not the particulars, anyway, just random bits. He doesn't remember calling Grace Leanna, but she was there. So were Adam Carter and Penny June. He doesn't remember the ER doctor coming out to talk to the family, but he remembered the words.

The doctor said the clot that broke off and caused the stroke, there was another part of it, a part that traveled south, stopping the old man's heart. By the time the paramedics got him to the ER, there was nothing that could be done but say goodbye. Kristoff's only comfort was that he likely didn't feel a thing, and that his mother and sister got to say their goodbyes, even if the rest couldn't. Pabbie died with his hands held by the great love of his life and his first child.

He remembered Kevin standing outside the curtained-off room where Bulda and Tillie sat with Pabbie. Neither had let go of his hands. Bulda was stroking back his shaggy gray hair, staring at him as if he was only just asleep. Kristoff held back and let his brother and sisters have their time with their father.

"Mr. Bjorgman, I hate to bother you with this but there is paperwork that need to be filled out," a hospital administrator said, coming up to him, head bowed respectfully.

"Don't go anywhere near my mother with this," Kristoff said, taking the pen and clipboard from her. "I will take care of it."

And he did, though he remembered little of it. While his siblings and mother grieved, he filled out paperwork. Release for the hospital to take Pabbie to the funeral home. Insurance, authorization for autopsy, request for organ donation, and other forms. Nothing he didn't know, and nothing that his mother needed to deal with. He would do any and everything to keep his mother from having to deal with arrangements and decisions. They always thought they were prepared, but not for this kind of thing.

Kristoff remembered Tillie sobbing in Kevin's arms, remembered his other siblings clustered around Bulda, all quietly weeping. He remembered Kevin radioing his partner, asking for off-duty officers to help drive everyone home. He remembered handing off paperwork and forms to the administrator and telling Kevin he was going to take a walk, leaving Bulda's keys with him. He didn't remember leaving the hospital, didn't remember walking. Had no idea how he ended up at home, and frankly didn't care. He was standing in the driveway staring into the garage, at the old car. The numbing fog he'd felt for the last few hours bubbled and boiled, swirling inside him until it vanished into a blinding, white-hot rage.

The man who taught him to be a man was gone. He was gone. And there was a part of Kristoff that knew it was his fault. He was to blame. If Pabbie hadn't been working on that damn car all alone. If he'd taken the time to be there with him, maybe he would have been able to save him. He didn't remember picking up Justin Carl's baseball bat, but he remembered it felt hot in his hands. He remembered the burning in his palms as he swung and connected with the hood of the old Fairlane. Swing after swing, he beat at that damned car. That damned car that stole his father from him! Rage-filled screams echoed in the garage as he poured out his anger, guilt and grief on the metal beast.

Anna heard him from the house. She pulled herself out of the sleeping pile of little ones, wrapped her sweater around herself and hurried outside.

What she saw stopped her dead in her tracks. "Kristoff?" she breathed softly, so softly he could barely hear her. She had never been afraid of him, not in the whole time they had known each other. But this time, this time, she couldn't help it. She stayed back out of harm's way, and fought against her own mind putting her husband's face on the memory of the last person to wield a bat near her in anger. "Kristoff, come have tea with me. Please, Kristoff, I can't..."

"This fucking car!" Kristoff screamed, finally throwing the bat across the garage, the bat smashing the jars of screws, nails and washers sending them scattering across the ground. "This fucking car! If I hadn't been so goddamn busy, if I'd've just spent some time with my own father, I would have been here for him. I hate this fucking car!"

"Kristoff!" Her voice was louder, the raw emotion breaking in her voice. "Kristoff, please... I can't help you when you're like this. I need you to calm down and talk to me. Please, I need you."

Kristoff stood, fists clenched at his side, gasping like a bellows. He nodded, looked down, and turned his back on the garage. He saw his wife, the love of his life, her face contorted with apprehension and fear. He saw the tears on her cheeks as she took a hesitant step closer to him. With the bat gone, she felt safe, safe to approach him.

He breathed, hard and shallow, trying to find his own calm. He closed his eyes and kept breathing hard. He stopped when he felt Anna's slender hands on his chest, over his heart that wouldn't stop pounding. There was something, something about her fear, that bothered at him. But it slipped away with the rage, draining out of him like water from a ruptured drum, leaving behind nothing but overwhelming grief.

He opened his eyes and saw echoes of his own pain in her eyes. He saw the ghosts of old fears, but the compassion and sympathy were brighter. He cupped her cheeks in his hands, a strangled sob escaping. His legs wobbled and he fell to his knees in front of her. He had no strength left in him; he needed hers to anchor him in a world suddenly dark and rudderless. Kristoff wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her chest, weeping into her cardigan. He felt her arms wrap around him, felt her fingers soothe their way through his hair as he clung to her.

"My father's dead, Anna," he cried, holding her to him. "He was gone before I even got to the hospital."

"Oh no," Anna breathed, grief threatening to overwhelm her too, but she had to be strong for him. For her whole family "Oh god, Kristoff, I am so, so sorry," she whispered, holding him to her, weeping with him for several minutes.

"It'll be okay," she crooned into his hair. "I don't know how, or when, but it will be okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

He took a deep breath and let it go, and let all the leftover rage and anger bled out of him. He felt wrung out like an old dishrag, but he felt better. Calmer. "Where's Tempe and Jesse?" he husked.

"They're asleep on the couch, along with the rest of the youngsters. They're all confused, scared…"

"Okay," he stood and took her hand, trembling as he did. "We… we better go tell them." She squeezed his hand encouragingly, and they walked together back to his parents'… his mother's house.

* * *

The last two days were horrible. Bulda and Tillie were inconsolable, leaning almost entirely on Kristoff and Kevin to see them through. Adam Carter and Grace Leanna called the catering business's clients, cancelling obligations for the rest of the month, rescheduling what they could and offering refunds for those who wanted them. Penny June greeted well-wishers, accepting condolences and casseroles from their many neighbors and friends. Anna cared for the six youngsters, who were an odd mix of confused and sad and normal. Children were far more resilient than their elders, but Anna spent many hours cuddling with a crying child, singing and rocking them and soothing their bruised hearts.

Bedtime was the worst. Kristoff was spending most of his time with Bulda, being her rock. That absence left Anna to help little Temperance sobbing into her Stitch, crying for Grampie to read to her. Jesse, only being a Bjorgman for less than a month didn't know what to do. He just sat at the table scribbling nothing on the many pads of paper they had in the house. He had only lost his own mama three months ago and that pain and hurt was still there. Now he'd lost someone else who he had been told would be there for him.

"Miss Anna?" Jesse said that night as Anna was tucking him into bed.

"Yes Jesse?" Anna said sitting on the edge of his bed.

"I'm sad that I didn't get to know Mr. Pabbie," Jesse said, absently playing with the arms of his own Stitch. "He helped me re-spool my fishing pole the other day. He showed me how to cast it so I wouldn't get it tangled up again."

"I am sad too, Jesse. But you did get to know him and see what a cool grandpa he was. He loved you, please know that. Pabbie had a big heart for children. I'm sure he would have loved to have gone fishing with you and the other boys. You hold on to that. It'll help."

"Yes ma'am, I will. Thank you."

She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I love you, Jesse."

"Good night Miss Anna," Jesse said, snuggling into his pillows.

Anna smiled, smoothing his hair. She stood up, turning on his lamp and closed the door behind her. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. There would still be time for Jesse. She needed to remember that not everyone grieves in the same fashion. She would keep pouring her love out on him and with time, he'd grow to love her too. Not everyone is love at first sight.

Pabbie's funeral and wake were scheduled for the next day. Anna had gone thru the little ones' dressers and closets and pulled out their Sunday best. She washed and pressed their outfits, shined their shoes, and organized their hair ribbons. She also prepared platters of small sandwiches, meatballs, cookies, brownies and other finger foods for the wake, making the few simple little things she knew how to in bulk to share with the well-wishers. She spent most of the night prepping everything, since her day was filled with tending the children and helping Bulda or Kristoff or anyone else who needed anything. Half the town was liable to show up, and the Bjorgman's had a reputation for feeding everyone well. She wouldn't let her family down.

She stood alone in their bedroom closet, setting aside a somber grey sundress and black cardigan to wear to the wake. She dug into the back, pulling out Kristoff's suit, as it needed to be aired and pressed before the services. She took out the jacket and button-down shirt, hanging them over her arm. She reached for the pants, and her hand brushed past the only remaining leather belt he owned. She gasped as her fingers grazed over it, flinching away from the all-too-familiar feel of it against her skin. The stress of the last few days and her weakened emotional state sent her spiraling. Spiraling into a waking nightmare she was sure she had vanquished so many months ago…

 _She knew it was coming. She got cornered and had to speak with Michael, the host at the restaurant. She smiled at him, nervously laughing at something he said about his daughter. It wasn't that she didn't care, but she knew what would happen if she was caught speaking to anyone, let alone another man. She felt_ his _eyes on her the whole time, and she knew she would be in for it that night. She did her best to make sure the house was perfect, dinner was perfect, and she looked her best for him. But it didn't matter. He still dragged her into the bedroom by her hair and threw her on the bed. He called her vulgar, vile names. He slapped her, and pressed her down into the mattress. He forced himself on her, binding her to the headboard so she couldn't escape, couldn't fight back._

 _The crack of the belt across her back was as harsh as ever, no matter what she did to try and dull the pain. He was a master of pain, forcing her to endure so much but never enough to let her escape into unconsciousness. He'd finished and leave her there. She never could remember how long she would lay there alone, bound and broken, weeping, dreading his return, never knowing if he'd let her loose or have his way with her again and again and again…._

"Anna? Sweetheart, I have to go. Mama asked for my help at the cemetery with the final arrangements," Kristoff said, from the doorway of their bedroom.

"O-Okay! Do what you need to. We'll be okay here. If we're not home we'll be at Mama's with Grace Leanna and the others," Anna called out from the closet, hastily wiping at her face, steeling herself. She was going to be his rock. She would bury her own demons and focus on keeping Kristoff from spiraling. She had to be strong for him and the children.

"Baby, are you okay?" he asked, walking over to their closet and pulling her to him.

"Don't worry about me," Anna said brightly, too brightly. "I'm fine. Just dust and, y'know, stuff. Go help Mama. I've got everything under control here."

He looked at her, puzzled, not sure what to make of her overbright eyes, pale, tear-stained cheeks, ramrod-straight back and the little tremors that raced through her. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," she beamed.

"Alright," he hugged her tightly and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he turned and walked back out.

She waited to hear the front door close, waited a full ten count before she collapsed and curled up on the floor.

* * *

Anna stood in the doorway leading from the basement kitchen to the main floor, spotting Bulda staring out the window to the garage. The guests who came by to offer their condolences had finally filtered out, leaving just the family. The younger kids and Penny June were in the living room with the leftover brownies and a movie playing. Grace Leanna and Kaylee were in their room, spending some quiet time together. Adam Carter and Travis were on the back porch taking slow pulls on their bottles of beer. Kristoff was still at the Arendelle Mansion cleaning up from the reception. He needed the time alone, away from the people who acted like they knew what he was going through. Tillie and Kevin hadn't been seen since the reception. Not that Anna was worried, Kevin was with her and if there was someone who could keep Tillie from doing anything stupid, it was Kevin.

"Mama? Can I get you anything?" Anna asked, coming up next to Bulda. The woman who once seemed larger than life to Anna, now seemed so small. "I can make you some tea."

"What am I going to without you, old man?" Bulda asked, staring out the window. "You weren't supposed to go first. You were supposed to be here until we could go together."

"We're going to be okay, Mama," Anna said, resting her hands on Bulda's shoulders. "You've got all of us here to help you. If you need us to, the little ones can come stay again with Kris and I."

"That may be for the best," Bulda said, tapping her hands. "I think I'm just going to go to bed. I just need to rest. Walk with me?"

"Of course, Mama."

Anna walked up to Bulda's room with her. "You sweet girl," Bulda said, cupping Anna's cheek. "Don't forget Anna Marcie, you get to grieve too. That old man was just as much your daddy as he was to the rest of these knuckleheads. He loved you. He might not have known how to say it to you, but he did. He was proud to walk you down the aisle at your wedding. Remember that."

"I know Mama," Anna said, wrapping Bulda in her arms. "We'll get through this together. It's what Pabbie would want us to do."

"What would I do without you, Anna Marcie?"

"You'll never have to wonder that, Mama."

Anna tucked Bulda into the blankets, kissing the older lady on the forehead much like she does every night for Temperance and Jesse. She left her room and closed the door behind her, walking right into Tillie. "Tillie! Sorry, you startled me."

"Why am I not surprised to find you here with my mother?" Tillie asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I should never have brought you here. You take everything!"

"What?" Anna blinked, stung. She hadn't had a chance to talk to her best friend since before Pabbie died, since Tillie spent all her time with either Bulda or Kevin. "Tillie, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? _You're_ what's wrong!"

"Tillie you're upset," Anna said, reaching her hand out to her friend. "Let's go make some tea and talk."

"Damn right I'm upset!" Tillie slapped her hand away. Anna pulled it back, confused and hurt. "I don't want to talk to you, and I sure as hell don't want your damn tea!" Tillie grated, following Anna down to the kitchen. "I don't want you here anymore. You took everything from me! That walk down the aisle should have been mine! You stole that from me. Get your own damn family."

"I thought I had," Anna said, filling the kettle. Once she got the anger out, she and Tillie would have tea and everything would be okay again. Because that's Tillie's MO. She'd yell, she'd rant, she'd rail and then when she's had enough, she'd reason and smile and all would be well. "You're the one who told me I was family."

"Well I sure as hell was wrong, wasn't I? You should have left in August. We'd've all been a lot happier." Anna kept her back to Tillie, hid the sting of her words, so she kept going. "You don't deny it, do you? You're just gonna stand there and take it like the good little mouse you are! Just like you've taken my brother from me. My niece. My father, and now my mother's love! It's your fault he's dead! My father is dead because of you. If you hadn't come here, Kristoff would have been there with Daddy. He wouldn't have been alone. But you came along and dig your claws into my brother. He should have been with Daddy and not twisted around your scarred and second-hand body! Get your own damn family and leave me alone, you worthless bitch!"

The words cut her, burned her, but she loved Tillie. "If this makes you feel better, Tillie, have at it. I can take it. I won't leave you Tillie. You're my best friend and you're hurting in a way that I will never be able to understand."

"You think you're so goddamn noble, don't you?!"

"Tillie why? What have I done? What have I said? Talk to me, let me help you."

"Oh, so now you're a therapist too? You want to take my job away from me too?! Fuck that, and fuck you!"

"Tillie, I just want to help. I don't - I don't understand. Please. I can't lose you too."

"Fuck, it's always about you, isn't it Anna? You and your miserable past, your useless self, always trying to worm your way in, prove yourself better than the rest of us. Well I don't need you, and I sure as hell don't want you in my family. So go on, run back to your gilded cage over there, nobody wants your miserable lies here anymore. Go on! Run, you miserable coward! Run! It's what you're best at."

"I get that you're angry, Tillie and you have every right to be. And I will stand here and let you scream at me for as long as you need. Because I love you and I know you don't mean any of this," Anna said, her voice trembling. "Once you feel better, we'll be okay. This will be nothing more than an unpleasant memory."

"The fuck we will!" Tillie shrieked. "What the fuck is with you, Anna?! Let me put it in small words so even an idiot like you can understand: Go. Away! Leave us the fuck alone! Get the fuck out before you fuck any more shit up for my family!"

There was a crack of skin meeting skin, Tillie's hand to Anna's face. Anna stared, wide-eyed, as Tillie turned on her heel, stormed out of the kitchen and out onto the back porch where Adam Carter and Travis, gobsmacked, had heard everything. Tillie ripped Adam Carter's beer out of his hand and downed it.

Anna stood in the kitchen alone, shaking. What if Tillie was right? She was failing as a mother, as a wife, and now as a friend. What if all this misery was her fault, her doing? She nodded and, seeing as she was hurting more than helping by staying, she went into the living room, collected her children and went back to her home. She carried her exhausted daughter up to her bedroom and helped her into her pajamas. She put her son and daughter to bed, not letting them see the hurt she was feeling. Then went up to the attic, sat down on the antique loveseat and wept.


	23. Rift of Epic Proportions Part One

**A/N: Because I don't trust this site to properly save this chapter in its entirety, this chapter will be split into two parts. This is Part One. Part Two will follow shortly after.**

Unbreak You

Chapter 21: Rifts of Epic Proportions, Part One

* * *

To everyone else it was a normal family gathering: cheerful, rambunctious, and pleasant. Everyone except Anna, that is. She'd barely slept the past week, plagued with debilitating nightmares. While they haven't woken her up screaming, yet, she still woke up to tears streaming down her face. Tillie's brutal, hurtful and cruel words echoing in her mind, mixed with her own horrible past bubbling up despite her best attempts to keep it buried ate at her. Add all this on top of her own anxieties and insecurities over not being able to fully connect with her son, and she was stretched to the limit.

She looked down at her sleeping husband, curled up on his side, snoring softly. She yearned for his comfort, for his arms to wrap around her, his fingers to comb through her hair. She reached out, her own fingers hovering over his bare shoulder, but she couldn't. Flashes of the night two weeks ago, the night they lost Pabbie, the garage, the baseball bat, they flogged her already exhausted mind. Unable to control her basic survival instincts, she flinched back from him, and she hated herself for it. She knew she was worrying Kristoff, but she was too ashamed to tell him what happened. What was still happening.

The family gathered behind the house, the baseball gear coming out of the storage shed. Justin Carl and Jesse Cameron, as Bulda called the little boy, set out the bases. Junebug Carly and Stephen Michael hauled out the bags of gear. Lucy May and Temperance Dawn got Penny June to help them hang the pennants they colored on the fence, then they skipped over to grab their gloves.

The garage doors were shut and no one wanted to look at it. The pain of Pabbie's loss was still too fresh to be handled well. If Kristoff had his way he'd torch the whole thing and rebuild it. But Bulda said no. Not worth the insurance paperwork.

It was okay for Anna to go over to the house, since Tillie was over at Kevin's. Without Tillie there, Anna felt freer, safer. But she knew the moment Tillie came home she was no longer welcome. Tillie had made that abundantly clear. Anna let her friend rage at her, but it was getting harder and harder to bear the weight of her words. Anna started running now, whenever she and Tillie crossed paths. All she could do for her friend was let her hate on her, and she couldn't even do that right.

"Please take this out to the porch, Anna Marcie," Bulda handed her a tray of glasses and a matching glass pitcher of lemonade beaded with condensation.

"Okay Mama," Anna replied, keeping her ears open for the sound of Tillie's or Kevin's car.

She quickly took out the pitcher and glasses, then darted back in the house to collect her things. It may have only been a week since that first verbal explosion, but it cut deep, and each day brought fresh wounds. Gone were the girls' nights with her and Grace Leanna. Grace Leanna didn't dare go against Tillie, unless she wanted to incur the wrath of her sister. Anna didn't blame her, and didn't want her stuck in the middle, so she stayed away from Grace Leanna as well. Anna hadn't felt this alone since moving to Arendelle nearly a year before. She hadn't felt this isolated and depressed since living with Hans, or with her mother. She didn't dare go to the house; who knows what Tillie would say to her again. It seemed like whenever the family gathered Anna stayed back, behind at her house, her gilded cage, sending her love through Kristoff to the rest of her family. She knew when she wasn't wanted.

Her days were empty. Her children went to summer camps or were at their grandmother's home playing. She didn't dare go to the mansion for any event, who knows what Tillie would say to her again if she caught her alone.

Anna came back inside just in time to see Kevin and Tillie come into the kitchen with groceries. Anna froze, then tried to put on a brave front for them. "Kevin, Tillie," Anna said with a smile. "It's nice to see you."

Tillie sniffed and pushed past Anna and greeted her mother warmly. Anna shrunk back, Kevin's gentle hand on her shoulder. His soft eyes were warm and gentle. "It's gonna be okay, Anna. She's just being Tillie. I'll talk to her."

"Thank you," Anna whispered, slipping outside. The tears were ready to fall. She had to get back home, back to her attic where she was safe. Safe from the friend who knew all too well how to tear her down. Safe from the anger and hatred of the friend who seemed hell-bent to break her. Safe from the nightmares that would soon keep her from sleeping at all.

The game was in full swing outside. Penny June was on the mound, Justin Carl at the plate. They were laughing and playing, not a care in the world. While their own hearts were on the mend, they were resilient, playing, laughing with each other. They were happy, as happy as children can be who just lost their father.

"Sometimes bad things happen but as long as you have your brothers and sisters you'll get through it," Anna murmured to herself, a smile forming on her lips. If they could heal and be happy, maybe she could too.

She had to duck as the baseball came flying at her head. It bounced off Kevin's car and rolled under the trailer. Justin Carl was cheering as he ran the bases. Kristoff was up next, the bat in his hands swinging back and forth as he limbered his large arms.

Anna froze in her tracks, petrified with old fears becoming new. The swing of the bat turned ominous. The echo of the laughter became cutting and cruel. He took a step toward her, face twisted with confusion, and that was enough. She couldn't handle it. The visions were too much. She raced up the porch steps and into the house. Anna scrambled up the stairs to the attic door. Her safe place. Her haven from the fear and the sadness. It was the only place that didn't feel like the walls were caving in on her. She curled up in the blanket she kept on the loveseat, watched the game below, and waited for the visions to attack her.

* * *

"Why don't we ask Kristoff and -" Kevin started to ask, rubbing Tillie's bare arms. Bulda had gone outside to be with the family, unable to resist her children and grandchildren's pleas for her to come play with them. Tillie stood at the sink a sour expression on her face.

"Don't you even mention that bitch to me," Tillie snapped, pulling away from Kevin. "God, you'd think she was this saint the way everyone sings of her glory."

"Baby, come on," Kevin pleaded. "Hasn't this gone on long enough? I still don't understand why you're even angry with Anna in the first place."

"She's taking over my life," Tillie seethed. "I should have seen it earlier. She moves here, plays the victim, gets the sympathy of everyone around her."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Kevin remarked. "She doesn't want to be you, she wants to be your friend. You've seen the scars she has, both physical and emotional. You know she's not faking it. You saw what that asshole did to her."

"Yeah, and I got arrested for it."

"You got arrested for assaulting an officer," Kevin pointed out. "Because you were so concerned for your friend you wouldn't see reason. Kinda like now. You told me what you said to her and honestly, honey, you were totally out of line. Anna hasn't done anything wrong, and deep down you know it. She's an empathetic person. She cares about all of you. I honestly don't think she's even processed that Pabbie's gone. Because she'd rather make sure you're okay then deal with her own pain."

"Jesus Kevin," Tillie snapped. "I thought you'd be on my side!"

"Matilda Louise, I love you more than life, but what you're doing is wrong and you know it. Anna is your best friend and your sister and she's killing herself trying to make sure you have a punching bag to take your anger out on."

"Ugh, now even you're falling for her act. God, I hate her!"

"No you don't, Tillie. You hate that your father's dead. You hate that there was nothing anyone could do to save him. You're angry at life for taking him from you, but life doesn't care." Kevin sighed. "You lost your father, and there's nothing I can do to fix that. I wish I could, but I can't. But what you're doing now is pushing away your best friend and driving a wedge between yourself and your family, and I can't stand by and let you hurt yourself or them like that. I love you too much not to call you on it."

* * *

Kristoff saw his wife run into the house, nearly in tears. He saw the terror in her eyes, saw her flinch back from him. He had noticed it more and more as the days passed since his father's funeral. Noticed that while she would hug their children, would hold him while he grieved, she was stiff and stand-offish whenever he hugged her. At first he chalked it up to her own grief, but now he wasn't so sure. Something was bothering her, something bad. And something was going on between Anna and Tillie, that much was obvious. But like so many months ago, Anna was playing things close to her chest. She wouldn't talk to him, and he couldn't understand why. She could always talk to him. Something bigger was plaguing his wife, and it was high time he pulled himself out of his own grief and found out what it was.

He handed the bat to Stephen Michael and turned towards his house when he felt a small hand in his. "Daddy?" Temperance pulled on his hand.

"What is it, baby?" Kristoff said, squatting down.

"Mommy's sad. Really sad, like before," Temperance said.

"I know. We're all sad about Grampie."

"Not just about Grampie, Daddy," Temperance insisted, her eyes wide and solemn.

Kristoff ruffled her blonde hair. "Thanks, sweetheart. You and Jesse stay with Grandma. I'll go check on Mommy." Tempe nodded, satisfied that her Daddy would fix things.

He rose and went inside his house, pondering what Tempe told him. It might explain why Anna just flinched and ran in fear from him. That hurt far more than he cared to admit.

He thought he'd find Anna in the kitchen doing dishes. That's what she always did when she was upset: she cleaned. That, too, was a leftover of her Before. But there was no one in the kitchen, or the living room, or the kids' rooms. He wandered through the house, puzzled and more than just a little concerned, and finally noticed the attic door was cracked open.

"Anna? Baby? Are you up there?" he called, ascending the stairs. He heard muffled crying, and he looked over the railing and saw her on the loveseat by the window. "God, Anna…"

She was rocking, silently sobbing, eyes wide and unseeing, trapped in her own mind. Her body was flinching and twisting, like she was trying to avoid someone hitting her, over and over. He wanted to run to her, take her in his arms and soothe away whatever demon had taken control of her mind, but he knew better. He had to go slow, coax her out of the panic attack. He was just grateful that this time there wasn't a door between them.

He walked slowly and carefully over to her, and knelt down beside her, a little to the side so as not to startle her once she came to. "Anna, come back to me," he whispered, gently reaching for her hands. "I'm here, baby. Sweetheart, I'm here. Come back to me. Please, princess, come back to me."

He rubbed soothing circles over the backs of her hands, but she didn't respond. He took a breath and began to sing to her. " _When I fall in love, it will be forever or I'll never fall in love. In a restless world like this is, love is ended before it's begun. And too many moonlight kisses, seem to cool in the warmth of the sun. When I give my heart, it will be completely. Or I'll never give my heart and the moment I can feel that You feel that way too. Is when I'll fall in love with you._ "

"Go back and play with them," Anna whispered, her eyes still on the window, but not seeing anything. "You need it."

"What I need is to take care of you," Kristoff murmured, easing himself up and into the seat beside her. She wasn't flinching anymore, but she still trembled, her eyes still wide, sightless and crying. "I'm here for you, sweetheart. I'm right here for you, just let me in."

She didn't move. He kept her hands in his, gently rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles, her wrists, giving her all the time she needed. He started singing to her again, anything he could to draw her out of the darkness and back into the light.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, she leaned towards him. Once her head brushed his shoulder he pulled her into his lap, resting her head on his chest. She was stiff and trembling, shrinking in on herself, and it broke something inside him to know she was in this much pain. "Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me, what's got you so rattled?"

She let out a long, shaking sigh, "I know I shouldn't be, but I am."

"Shouldn't be what?" He rubbed her arms up and down softly, soothingly. "Sad?"

"Scared," she shuddered. "So scared."

"Oh Anna," he held her tighter. "I've got you, princess. You're safe. Talk to me."

"I can't make it stop," her voice was an anguished whimper. "Your face, morphing onto his when he was holding the bat. You smashing my piano that night. It's all I can see when I close my eyes."

"Baby how did that… Oh my God," Kristoff cringed. "Me. The night Pop died. That damn car."

"I can't make it stop," Anna cried.

"You've been fighting this for two weeks?"

Anna nodded, hiding her face against his chest. "Every time I close my eyes, it's not him I see anymore. It's you, and it kills me that I'm afraid of you. I have _never_ been afraid of you. Ever. Why now?"

"Because I was angry. And you've never seen me angry like that. Oh god, Anna, I'm so sorry!"

"But you shouldn't have to censor yourself around me! I should be able to accept all of you, even at your worst, without flipping out. You didn't do anything to me, this is all in my stupid head. I'm doing everything wrong-"

"Shh, Anna, no! Please, no, you're not stupid. Don't go back to saying things like that about yourself," Kristoff pleaded, his heart aching for her. How did he let her get this bad? Why did he let his grief blind him?

"I don't know what to do," she sobbed. "It's like the Before. I'm scared every day that I'm going to say something, o-or do something that's going to make you angry and…"

"Anna," Kristoff said, turning her in his lap, looking deep into her eyes. "Baby, you never have to worry about that. No matter how angry or upset I am, I would _never_ hurt you. Or Tempe or Jesse. That's not me. Never."

"I know!" she whimpered. "I know you wouldn't! I _know_! But I'm still scared, and my head, it won't stop no matter how hard I try! I hate this!"

He held her close, rocking her as she wept, heedless of the tears coursing down his own cheeks. He was silent for several long minutes, letting her cry while he wrestled with his own thoughts, his own guilt. He'd deal with that later. Right now, he had to get through to her.

She placed her hand on his chest, right over his tattoo. He held her a little bit closer, a little bit tighter. Here she was, fighting her own mind, yet she still reached out for him. Deep down, buried under all the pain and misery, she still wanted him. Wanted them. How he wished she could see what he saw in her: her tenacity, her strength, her light.

"Pop taught me to take my anger out in healthy ways," he murmured, soothing his hands up and down her back. "Sure, beating his car to crap probably wasn't one of them, but it calmed me down enough so I could be there for my family. But I should've known. I'm so sorry Anna. I shouldn't have lost it like that. I shouldn't have let you see me like that."

"But," she wiped at her face and looked up at him. "But we shouldn't hide that from each other. I hide because that's how I've survived to see twenty-four. But I can't keep hiding and not being there for you when you need me the most. For that I am so ashamed."

"But you didn't, Anna," Kristoff pointed out. "I had that bat in my hand, and you didn't run. I threw it hard enough to smash through the back window, and you still came up to me. Calmed me. Soothed me. You must've been scared out of your wits, but you were still there for me."

Anna looked down, thoughtful. Kristoff tucked her hair behind her ear, cradling her cheek.

"Ma once told me that your first reaction to a bad situation is pure instinct, based on how you were raised, how you've lived. Anna, your life before Arendelle was a nightmare of anger and madness. It's no wonder you're reacting so strongly to all of this. But your second reaction, the one that kicks in and ignores that first gut instinct, that's the real you."

"I don't understand," her eyebrows knit in confusion.

"When you swallowed down your fear and stayed with me. When you fight those voices twisting in your head. When you choose to believe in me, in us, especially when I'm a clueless moron. When you reject that fear and hold onto love, _that's_ who you truly are. That's the Anna I love, the Anna I have children with. The fearful, afraid Anna, it's okay to let her out. She needs my love and comfort just as much."

"But I'm so ashamed," she began.

"I know. I understand. I am, too, and I'll work even harder at letting go of my anger in less destructive ways. But you, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Your true self is so full of light and love, not even those damn voices tricking you can kill it."

"But I hid. I ran. I always run, even when I promised you I wouldn't. I-"

"It's ok, sweetheart. Please don't be so hard on yourself. Please let me help you silence those voices. Please."

He wiped the tears falling from her big blue eyes with a gentle thumb, and whispered, "I'd be so lost without you, Anna. Completely and utterly lost. You truly are my northern star, guiding me out of the darkness.

Anna held onto him, leaning on his strength, soaking in his love and faith in her. "I'd rather face him again than be afraid of you," she murmured, finally relaxing in his arms.

"If I have any say in it, you'll never have to do either ever again."

"I love you, Kristoff," she whispered. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, my princess." He kissed her forehead, and they sat together for several minutes, rocking together, healing together, listening to the sounds of children's laughter coming from the yard. "I'm here for you, Anna. Always. No matter what."

"I know," she sighed, unwinding some more in his arms. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I know this'll take some time to fix, but however long it takes, whatever we have to do, I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Thank you, Kristoff," she snuggled deeper into his embrace.

"Is there anything else going on that I need to know about?"

Anna bit her lip. She should tell him about Tillie. She really should, but she can't relive that shame again, not while still struggling over the shame of her fear. It's bad enough having nightmares about Tillie's anger, over and over. But to tell him what his sister said would tear the family apart, right when they needed each other the most. She couldn't do that to him. To her family. To Tillie.

So Anna bottled it up, buried it deep inside, and lied. "No. I'll be fine now."

* * *

"Mommy, are you and Aunt Tillie in a fight?" Temperance asked. The two of them were in the kitchen, making lunches for a picnic in the park after the kick-off of the summer reading program at the library.

Anna blinked, resting her hands against the counter. "Aunt Tillie is angry for reasons that are her own," Anna said. "She'll be okay once the anger is gone."

"Oh," Tempe looked down. Anna's mind drifted back to yesterday, where Tillie ignored her completely while she was at the mansion making the petit fours for Jillian's latest party. The icy silence was almost worse than the fiery condemnations. Anna feared there was nothing she could say or do that could change Tillie's stubborn mind. She was angry, and that anger wasn't going away anytime soon. Endurance was the only option.

"Is Auntie Lucy coming today too?"

"I already asked and Grandma said she has to go to the doctor's for her legs," Anna said, coming back to the now. "But Justin Carl, Stephen Michael and Junebug Carly are coming with us today."

"Is Daddy coming too?"

"He'll be here soon."

"Hey family, what's the hold up?" Kristoff called, setting his keys in the bowl on the counter.

"Mommy's making lunches," Temperance said, sneaking a cookie from the pile and skipping out to find her aunt and uncles.

"No point in spending money we don't have to on junk in town when I can make healthy lunches here to take with us," Anna said, writing names on the brown paper sacks.

"Baby, are you okay?" Kristoff asked, taking her hand. "Talk to me."

"I'm fine," she said, pulling her hand away. "I just need to finish this so we can go." She bustled about the kitchen, putting things away, burning off nervous energy.

"You can talk to me, Anna."

"I know. But not now."

"Anna, I'm worried about you."

"Don't be. I'm fine."

He let it go, for now. He knew her better than she knew herself and he wouldn't push until she was ready to break. All he could do for now was watch, and wait.

She buried her own feelings well, but judging on the tightness around her eyes, he knew he couldn't wait long.

The twins and Stephen Michael were waiting for them on the porch, along with his own two. He grabbed the backpack of sack lunches, took a headcount (out of habit), then took Temperance's hand and off they went.

It didn't take long for Temperance to run ahead of her parents with her brother and the others. With the younger ones out of earshot Kristoff took his wife's hand in his and carefully formed his question. "You want to tell me why you're avoiding my mother's house? Did something happen?"

Anna flinched, looking away. "I-I'd rather not," she whimpered.

"I know," Kristoff squeezed her hand, silent and encouraging.

Anna sighed. She didn't want to, but she had to. She only hoped she wouldn't destroy her family in the process. "Tillie's made it very clear that I am no longer welcome there, at least while she's at home," Anna admitted, staring out in the distance. "I am respecting that."

"What?" Kristoff blinked. "Why? When did this happen?"

"After Pabbie's funeral. She was, well, she was very angry. Still is, it seems, and has decided that it is all my fault and doesn't want me around."

"But that doesn't make any sense! Baby, you know that's not true," Kristoff said, kissing her knuckles.

"I know. Tillie's just... She's not handling Pabbie's passing well. She's angry. She's..." Anna took a shuddering breath. "It's nothing."

He squeezed her hand, not pushing but not letting it drop either.

"If being mad at me helps her deal with it, what kind of friend would I be if I denied her that?"

"That doesn't make it right," Kristoff frowned. "I'll talk to Tillie, get her to back off."

"No, don't. Please, if this is her way to cope, let her," Anna pleaded. "I know Tillie. Once she's had her fill of being mad she'll come over with wine and everything will be fine."

"I don't think letting her pour her anger on you is helping anyone. She's obviously not happy, and you're not happy either."

Anna shrugged, a little half-hitch of the shoulders. "I know, but I… what else can I do?"

"Anna, honey. It's not right. She can't treat you like this. You didn't do anything wrong."

"No, I..." Anna sighed, shoulders slumped. "She won't let me help her any other way. This is all I can do for her."

Kristoff wanted to protest, wanted to find out more of what was going on. But they got to the library, and they had five kids to keep eyes on. He'd let it go for now, but this couldn't continue. It wasn't right. She was his wife. She wouldn't be iced out because his sister was being a bitch. He gripped his backpack tighter, his knuckles turning white. Why hadn't Anna told him about this earlier? Probably because he'd flip out about it. But how had he not seen what Tillie was doing before? Had he been blinded by his own grief?

"I'm sorry," Kristoff apologized, stopping, holding her to him.

"What are you sorry for?" Anna asked.

"For not seeing this sooner. For not seeing your pain until it's too late to fix it."

"No, it's ok. It's just… hard. I miss her. I know it isn't right, but I don't know what else to do, and I don't want to upset Mama. She's going through so much. Besides," Anna sighed. "It's not on you to fix what's happened. It's up to Tillie. I just hope she sees reason before she hurts more than just me."

* * *

Kristoff kept his eye on Justin Carl and Stephen Michael while they were looking through the books about sharks and crocodiles. Tempe and Junebug Carly were curled up in the beanbag chairs with _The Paperbag Princess_ and _Ladybug Girl_ books. It was Jesse who was different. He wasn't in the non-fiction books with the other boys, but in the chapter books. Anna set down her book, a biography on Judy Garland, and joined him.

"Jesse, would you like some help picking out a book?" she asked, kneeling down next to him. "These all might be a bit too advanced for you just yet."

"But the picture books are too easy for me," Jesse said. "I want to try something harder."

"That sounds like a good idea." Anna though back to what his teacher had said in their last parent-teacher conference. She mentioned Jesse appeared bored during reading hour because he didn't have anything that was challenging to him. She suggested more advanced books, even some chapter books.

"Why don't we start with C.S Lewis and his Narnia books?" Anna said. "They're more challenging, but still appropriate for your age. Or maybe _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_?"

"Mommy read me Charlie," Jesse said. Anna smiled; he was finally offering something of his mom. "She read it all these funny voices. She made reading fun."

"That's great, Jesse!" Anna beamed. "Reading's a lot of fun when you share it." She held out her hand for him. "Let's see if we can find _Voyage of the Dawn Treader_. It's about a sea voyage, mouse kings, a dragon and silly creatures made of feet."

She scanned the shelves for the book, and her face fell. "Uh oh. Looks like someone else checked it out," she said sadly. "Why don't we go ask the librarian if maybe they have another copy?"

"Ok, Miss Anna," Jesse took her hand. They walked up to Susan Hutchins, the first person she ever met when she came to Arendelle, scared and alone.

"Miss Susan, Jesse Cameron has a question," Anna said her hands on his shoulders, smiling at her son.

"Of course! How can I help you, Jesse Cameron?"

"Does the library have another copy of _Voyage of the Dawn Treader_ , Miss Susan?" he asked. "Mo-Miss Anna thinks it would a good book for me to work on for Summer Reading."

Anna's heart jumped in her chest. He started to say something completely different, something she'd been hoping to hear for well over a month. But then he didn't. But still, it meant something, didn't it?

She didn't even hear Susan say that there was another copy available. She shook off her wild thoughts and smiled at Jesse, waiting for Susan to return with the larger, illustrated, hardback copy of the book. "Here you go Jesse Cameron," Susan said, handing him the book. "I am sure you and Anna are going to have so much fun reading this book. And if you want, I will put aside the rest of the series for you."

"Thank you, Miss Susan," Jesse said, carefully taking the book.

Kristoff looked over from the mess the boys were making in the non-fiction section. He saw Jesse take Anna's hand as he pulled her towards the bean bags where Temperance and Junebug Carly were firmly snuggled in with their own books. He let Anna sit down first and he plopped down on her lap. Kristoff couldn't help but smile at the wonder and pure joy that lit Anna's face. It had been a long time since he'd seen her so happy.

Together they opened the book, and Anna listened with rapt attention as her son read to her. He really was quite good. She only spoke to help him sound out a word he didn't know.

" _There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb and he almost deserved it_ ," Jesse read. "That's such a funny name, Miss Anna."

"That it is, sweetheart," Anna agreed, kissing the top of his head. "That it is."


	24. Rift of Epic Proportions Part Two

**A/N: Because I don't trust this site to properly save this chapter in its entirety, this chapter will be split into two parts. This is Part One. Part Two will follow shortly after.**

Unbreak You

Chapter 21: Rifts of Epic Proportions, Part Two

* * *

"Mommy's still really sad, Daddy," Temperance said while Kristoff was tucking her in for bed later that night. "She got better, but then got sad again."

Kristoff knew his daughter was very perceptive, so he knelt down close to listen. "What have you seen, Tempe?"

"Well, um, what's a scarred second hand?"

Kristoff blinked, not quite understanding. "Where did you hear that?"

"Aunt Tillie said it to Mommy. She was being mean, using really mean words. She yells at Mommy, like Scary Lady used to yell at you Daddy. She said Mommy had a scarred second handed body. But I looked at both of Mommy's hands, her first hand and her second hand, and I didn't see any scars there. Just on her wrists. And of course I kissed them like she kisses my owies."

Kristoff muttered something very unkind about his sister under his breath. He patted Temperance's cheek. "It wasn't right of Aunt Tillie to talk like that to Mommy. Thank you for telling me what you heard, sweetheart. I think I need to go talk to both of them."

"You can fix it, Daddy," Tempe yawned, snuggling in. "I know you can. You can fix anything."

* * *

Kristoff went looking for his wife after putting their kids to bed. He couldn't find her, and he had a sinking suspicion as to where she could be.

His fears were confirmed when he heard her crying up in the attic. He climbed up the steps and found her in the same place he had two weeks ago during the baseball game: Curled up on the old love seat by the window, wrapped in her blanket even though it was hotter than hades in the attic. He knew something was wrong and he now knew his sister was behind a lot of Anna's inner turmoil. When Tillie dug her heels in, nothing short of a runaway Mack truck going ninety on a steep incline would get her to move.

"Anna, honey, talk to me," he said kneeling down next to her, his hand on her knee. "Tell me what's going on with Tillie."

"You don't want to know. It's too horrible," Anna cried. Her fingers were tracing the scars on her wrists, painful memories of how they got there filling her mind.

"If it's hurting you, it's hurting me. I don't want you to face this alone anymore. You are my world Anna. Please, talk to me."

"I can't."

"Yes you can, sweetheart. Anna, please. This silence between us. It's killing me. There's nothing you can tell me that will change the way I feel about you. You started to tell me before, tell me now."

"I know, I just, I'm…" Anna buried her face in her knees, shameful tears falling.

Kristoff sighed sadly. "You're scared?"

Anna nodded without looking up, her small frame shaking as the sobs increased.

"Of me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Anna looked up, her face awash in misery and shame. She reached out to him, cupped his jaw in her slender hand. "I don't mean to be."

"Anna…" He covered her hand with his and leaned into her touch. "Anna, may I sit with you?"

She nodded, wiping away the tears from her face, and he slowly shifted his bulk to sit next to her on the little love seat. He brought her hand down to kiss her fingers, then held it in his lap, stroking it gently with his own fingers. "I'm here for you, Anna. I made a vow to you that I would always be here for you. Help me keep my word to you. You can tell me anything, my love."

Anna kept her eyes locked on their hands. Kristoff watched her, watched her wrestle with her emotions. He had to get her talking. He couldn't let her suffer alone anymore. "Tillie's angry at you," Kristoff began, hoping to coax her to open up.

She nodded.

"And you're still fighting those flashbacks."

She nodded again, fresh tears falling.

"And you're worried about this kids, and how Jesse's not adjusting to being with us."

Anna looked up, surprise and shame on her face. Kristoff cupped her cheek and smiled softly. No judgment, just devotion.

"And you're mourning Pop's passing."

"You know," Anna's breath hitched in a little half-laugh, half-sob. "To be honest, I haven't even had time to mourn for him. How pathetic is that? I miss him. I do. He was the only father I have ever had. And he's gone before I could tell him that."

"He knew. He knew how much you needed him, and he loved you as one of his own. You're allowed to be sad about his passing."

"But I can't. I can't grieve because I have to take care of you and Mama and Tempe and Jesse and the others. You need me to be strong and there for you to lean on. And, to be honest," Anna whimpered, her voice thready and small. "to be honest, I can't handle anything else right now. I already feel broken."

That's when it hit him. She wasn't allowing herself to feel sad about Pabbie's passing. It was still there, but festering under the weight of everything else that's gone wrong over the last six weeks. No wonder she felt like she was breaking.

"God, Anna I…" Kristoff felt on the verge of tears himself. "I've been so stuck in my own head I didn't see what you were going through, and it was right in front of me. Losing Pop broke something in me, but knowing that you've been hurting this much... Anna... god, Anna, I'm so so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Anna said, wiping away her tears. "I compartmentalize and deal with it when I can, but I can't. But I can't keep being strong. I'm not good enough to keep up. I'm scarred and broken and worthless."

"Shhh, no Anna, never! That isn't you talking. I love you. We all love you. Why would you think otherwise? What's dredged up all your old demons?"

Anna squeezed her eyes shut, folding in on herself. He couldn't lose her to this. Not this time. "Is it Tillie?"

She started to shake. He draped his arm across her shoulders, and when she leaned into him he pulled her close and wrapped her up in his embrace.

"Temperance told me Tillie called you scarred and second-hand? Care to share with me why our daughter heard something so awful?"

"She heard that?" Anna looked up, stricken, mortified. Kristoff nodded, and Anna buried her face in his chest. "I didn't want them to know about any of this. I wanted to shield her just a bit more."

"Anna," Kristoff pulled her into his lap and rocked her. He hated this, but he needed to know everything. "Tell me what happened."

"Tillie, she… she said that Pabbie would still be alive if you hadn't been wrapped around my scarred, second-hand body. That if I wasn't here, Pabbie wouldn't have been alone in the garage because you would have been with him."

The anger rose in Kristoff's gut, his fist clenching and unclenching as his wife spoke, detailing all the horrible things Tillie's said and done to her. It sounded way too much like his own misplaced guilt being used against her, and by his own sister! Kristoff could kill his sister. How dare she use language that cut Anna to the very core? She knew exactly what to say to his wife to undermine and hurt her. No wonder Anna struggled with the demons of her past. No wonder she would barely let him touch her. _Goddamn you Tillie._

And as awful as Tillile's words were, Anna continued to defend her. "I know she doesn't mean any of it. She's angry and hurt over losing Pabbie."

"But that doesn't give her the right to treat you like this! Angry or not this isn't right."

"I know, and I thought about speaking up for myself, but I didn't. I couldn't. I really am just too weak and damaged to be of any use.…"

"No, Anna," he tilted her chin up and looked deeply into her eyes, and she stilled. Tillie got it into her head that he was repulsed by her. That she was damaged. And that was the farthest thing from the truth. He loved her, loved everything about her. The scars, her past, they all made her into the woman he fell in love with.

"Anna, may I kiss you?" he whispered, tucking her hair behind her ears.

She nodded, wiping away her tears. He kissed her lightly on the cheek, her temple, her forehead, then moved to her mouth. It was the most intimate they had been since Pabbie's death. "My love, you are not damaged. Nor do I think you are anything but beautiful and my perfect match. I love you. Never doubt that."

"That I will never doubt. You are my everything."

He kissed her again, lingering in all the places he knew she adored. She relaxed in his embrace, though he still felt the tension in her shoulders. So he dialed it back a bit, pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her brow, and sighed, "I've missed you."

She looked into his eyes and he could clearly see the want, and the fear, battling in her own. And he saw something he hadn't seen in a long time: that fierce determination. Her fighting spirit bubbled back to the surface, and it gave him hope.

"How do I close this gap between us?" he cradled her jaw, wiping away the wetness under her brilliant blue eyes. "Baby, I can't take another night not being able to hold you. To comfort you. This distance, the silence between us. I can't take another night alone."

She bit her lip, and his thumb ghosted over the hurt. "I have an idea." She stood up and took his hand. Curious, he followed her down to their bedroom. She closed the door behind them, then stood with her back to him, finding the courage to ask him to do something with her that once was used to control and harm her. But she needed to take it back and use it to heal. To close the gap between her husband and her heart.

"Kristoff," she murmured. "I want you to blindfold me and make love to me."

"Wait, _what_?" Kristoff blanched. "Anna?"

"I have to retrain my mind not to fear you," Anna explained, turning around to face him. "But if I see you, that part of my mind is resisting. I need to remember that your hands, powerful as they are, are still gentle and kind and good. Please?"

"Anna, what if I make it worse?" he worried, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I don't want to hurt you anymore. I can't stand that I have made you afraid to be with me."

"I know. You won't. I _know_ you won't, and would never hurt me. I know, but I have to _feel_ it. I have to retrain that part of my mind that's twisting the worst of you. Show me the best. I trust you. I trust you more than I trust myself. I need this. I need this for us."

She opened a dresser drawer and took out black scarf, running it through her fingers. "I wouldn't ask this of you, if I didn't know in my heart that you won't abuse this trust. That you will use this to love me and not hurt me. We have to do something, my love. I refuse to allow this to break us. I love you too much to allow my demons to ruin us. I _refuse_."

Kristoff had never seen this side of his wife before. She was never the one to take charge of their intimacy. She always consented and she was always there but she wasn't the one to initiate things. He loved this side of her. He couldn't wait to see more.

"What's that smile for?" Anna asked, letting out a nervous giggle.

"Nothing, I," his eyes drifted down her petite frame, admiring her subtle curves. "I've never seen this side of you before. I like it."

She blushed, and he feared she might draw away from him. But she set the scarf down on the bed and walked with an air of confidence and strength that he found intensely sexy, into Kristoff's arms, bringing her hands down his broad, powerful chest. "I've missed you too," she breathed, nimbly opened the buttons on his flannel shirt, easing it off his shoulders. "More than you know."

He captured her mouth, and moaned when she nipped at his bottom lip, all but demanding he open up for her, and he gladly obliged. She wriggled her hands under his gray tank top, tracing his abs with her fingertips, and nudged it up. He broke their kiss long enough to yank it the rest of the way off. She trailed her fingers down to his jean, slowly popping each button on his jeans. Those damn button fly jeans were going to be the death of him. Her smile told him more that she was enjoying every moment of his torment.

"Anna," his nearly growled, his need for her growing.

"I know. Slow. Slow." She kissed him again, feeling his hands travel up her back, she couldn't help but shiver. _Scarred, second hand, disgust…No!_ He felt her shiver and he gently caressed her back, each groove and crevice in her back was beautiful to him. They were a part of her. He unzipped her dress, easing it over her shoulders, it slipping to the floor, pooling at her feet.

"So beautiful." He unhooked her bra, her perfect breasts bare in front of him. He placed a hand on her back, his palm broad enough to touch both shoulder blades at once. He felt her tense up, so he smoothed his thumb over the scars. He knew she was tense and insecure by the way she swung from timid to bold. He pulled her closer, pressed her bare chest against his own, and folded her into his embrace. "You really are the strongest person I know," he whispered, his long fingers caressing the marks of her past. "These are a part of you. To show how far you've come, and how truly amazing you are."

"Kristoff," she wrapped her arms around his waist, basked in his warmth, his love, his faith in her. She rolled up on her toes, sliding her breasts up his chest as she reached up to press her lips to his. He bent low, welcoming her kiss. His hands brushed up her back and settled gently against her neck, his thumbs cradling her jaw.

She broke the kiss, then reached over and retrieved the scarf. She looked up at him, her face full of love and trust floating above an undercurrent of nerves. "Are you sure? I won't do it if you're not completely sure." He couldn't keep the worry from his voice.

She pulled his head down to rest against her own. "I'm sure. I want this. I need this to work, for us."

"If this is what you need from me, you know I'll do it. I'll do anything for you, my princess. I will fight this demon for us. Because you, Anna Marcie, are worth it. Nothing is ever going to change the way I feel about you, and don't let anyone convince you otherwise."

"I'll try," she whispered, breathless.

"I am going to blindfold you now. Are you ready?"

"Yes, please," Anna assured him with a sweet, soft kiss.

He picked up the fabric and placed it over his wife's closed eyes, knotting it behind her head. "Is it too tight?"

"No, my love."

"If it's too much…"

"I'll say so. I promise."

"Ok," he kissed her cheek, nuzzling her jaw with his nose until she tilted her head back, opening her neck for him. He gladly dove in, kissing the tender skin below her ear, showering her with gentle licks and nips until he latched onto the skin of her collar bone. She moaned, soft and low, knees going weak.

She squeaked as he lifted her into his arms. "Still ok?"

"Yes," she giggled, kissing his stubbled jaw.

"I'm going to lay you on our bed now," he murmured as he laid her gently down on the soft mattress. He gazed lovingly down at her as he stripped off the rest of his clothes. She looked so small, so vulnerable, and even though he'd seen her laid out on their bed before, he was overwhelmed with the powerful urge to protect her, to envelop her, to savor her.

He joined her on their bed, hovering over her beautiful body. He braced his elbows beside her, his weight on his knees as he lovingly ran his fingers over every curve, following them with his lips. "God, I've missed you," he groaned against her belly, then licked his way up to capture her breast in his mouth.

Anna laid still, calming her mind. _Kristoff. Kristoff. It's Kristoff. My husband. My true love_. Over and over she thought those words as his hands traveled down her body, his lips on her breasts, his hands large and gentle and everywhere. She focused on the feel of his skin, the sound of his breathing, the feel of his heartbeat as he lavished his affection all over her body.

That dark night was coming back to her and, for the first time in nearly a month, it wasn't his face tormenting her. He was back to being the defender, the love of her life, the lighthouse guiding her out of the dark. In her mind, Kristoff stood tall and proud, between her and danger, just like he always would.

His scent was intoxicating. There was nothing about Kristoff that she didn't know and love. His breath cool on her breasts, his lips soft and caressing. And when his fingers found the folds of her center, she saw nothing but shimmering white-hot light.

"Anna, you are so strong, so beautiful," Krisotff groaned, easing his fingers into her. "Do you even know how you affect me? One look at you and my mind, God, it centers on you. On you and how I can be the best of myself for you." He kissed down her body his lips hovering over her most sensitive flesh. His hand caressed her waist, her thighs, circling down to grasp her hips and lift her center to his kiss. Kissing and caressing her as his fingers filled her with love and tenderness.

Anna gasped, raising her hips entreatingly, crying out when he stroked her again and again. He took her hand in his as his fingers filled her. Her free hand found its way into his hair, writhing and moaning with joy. "Kristoff, please," she gasped, feeling herself building up and ready to burst. " _Please_."

"Anna you never need to ask," he said, his voice sending shockwaves of sensation radiating out to her core. "Never. I don't and I will never control you in that way."

She cried out, gripping his hand tight in her own, her body shaking and shuddering with the power of their love. He delved into her, groaning as her bliss enveloped him. She clawed at the blindfold, ripping it off so she could see him, truly see him. Her love, her life, her very being wrapped into another being. She sat up, reached down to grasp two fistfuls of his hair, and pulled him up to kiss him deeply.

He spread himself over her, careful not to smother her even as she pulled and pressed against him, her hips rolling up to grind against his own. He kissed her, his hardness sliding home, filling her. She cried out, wrapping her legs around his hips to keep him close. He pulled her into his lap, kissing her, groaning into her mouth, his cock pressing deeper into her, his hardness soothing to bring her pleasure and never pain. She rested her forehead against his as they made love, eyes locked on each other, loving each other in ways that only they could. Equal. She rolled her hips into him, and she felt him thrust up deep inside her. His hands covered her back, holding her close and with such pure devotion and raw need she knew beyond a doubt that there would never be anything but love between them ever again.

His hand slid between them, his thumb circling her clit, his groans drowned out by her gasping cries. She felt him tense and growl as her entire being unraveled in ecstasy, wrapped tightly in the arms of the love of her life. If there was ever a dream where Anna could conceive his child, it would be that night. A child created from that intense love would know no anger or pain. Only love born of a fire that would never be quenched.

They slept as close as they could get for the first time in weeks. His arms around her, cradling her close. The outside world could crash around them but they would be safe. Together.

* * *

Anna slipped over to Bulda's house the next morning. She had to borrow the large cast iron skillet so she could make brownies for Tempe and Jesse's summer camp. Bulda was having tea and prayer with her ladies, so Penny June and Grace Leanna held down the fort. Tillie had been absent most of the day, so Anna felt safe enough to go over, grab the skillet and be gone again before anyone even knew she was there.

Fate, it seemed, was not on her side. Tillie and Kevin walked in from the living room. "What the hell are you doing here?" Tillie snapped, seeing Anna in the kitchen.

"I, um, that is, Kristoff needed Ma, um, Bulda's skillet for his brownies," Anna mumbled, looking down. "I'll leave now."

"Why stop at just one? Why not take them all? You take everything else."

"Tillie," Anna started to say, to defend herself. "Hasn't this-"

"Get the fuck out of my house!"

"Whoa, Tillie, is that really necessary?" Kevin chided. "This is madness and you know it."

"Why the hell are you all protecting her? She's not fragile. She won't fight back but that's never stopped her before." Tillie rounded on Anna. "What, no platitudes of fake comfort this time? Come on Anna, fight back."

"Tillie, I don't know what you want from me."

"Oh of _course_ you don't know. Anna, you never know. Is there anything your idiot self actually _does_ know?"

Anna flinched. "I know that… I… That you…" She didn't have the heart to finish her argument. She just wanted to get out of there. Run and hide from the situation.

"Matilda Louise," Grace Leanna snapped, coming into the kitchen. "That's enough! This shit has gone on long enough. You have to stop."

"This has nothing to do with you, Grace Leanna. This is about her and her constant butting in where she isn't wanted and taking what isn't hers."

"Like it or not Tillie, Anna's family, and we don't treat family like this," Grace Leanna scolded, wrapping her arm around Anna's shoulders, keeping her from running away. "She's your sister and best friend."

"No family of mine. I don't associate with liars and manipulators."

"What the hell are you even talking about?! Anna is none of those things and you know it! What the fuck is your damage, Tillie?"

"This is not about me! This is about her being where she doesn't belong!"

"At this point Tillie, it's _you_ who doesn't belong anymore. Daddy would be so ashamed of you right now. This isn't who he raised us to be." Grace Leanna said, not letting Anna out of her grasp. Anna wanted nothing more than to get away before Tillie's anger hurt someone else she cared about. "I don't know what you're dealing with because you won't talk to any of us, except to bitch and curse Anna, and we're all sick of it!"

"So you're going to throw your lot in with her?" Tillie asked. "You're my sister!"

"So's she, but that hasn't stopped you from being a colossal megabitch to her. And I'm sick and tired of it! It isn't right and you know it, but you're too goddamn stubborn to admit you're wrong. But it's gotta stop. I am doing what Mama and Daddy taught us to do, what I should've done weeks ago: Stand up to those who are actively causing harm. You will not talk to Anna like this anymore, nor will I listen to you deride her when she's not around to defend herself!"

"But she won't. She'll never defend herself because that's what she is. A fucking doormat. How you ever managed to snag my brother with scarred, disgusting body is beyond all my ability to comprehend. Pity is the only thing I can think of."

"Holy shit, Tillie, are you even listening to yourself? If you heard any man say something like that to another woman, family or not, you'd punch him in the throat! The old you would, anyway. This new you's turning you into everything you used to hate."

"What I hate is that bitch coming and taking over!"

"That is enough!" a low, menacing growl came from the back door. Kristoff walked in, and he was pissed.

Grace Leanna looked between her brother and sister. "I did what I could, Kris. I couldn't take it anymore."

"I know, Gracie," Kristoff said. "But this shit is done. Anna, it's going to be okay now. Come here, baby."

Anna wriggled her way out of Grace Leanna's grasp and nearly flew across the kitchen and into her husband's loving arms. She felt very childlike, her small frame hidden behind Kristoff's impressive build. Her hands on his waist, anchoring her to his strength, his love.

"She finally told you, did she?" Tillie snapped, fists on her hips. "Probably did her damndest to make it look like I am the bad guy here."

Kristoff crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his sister. "Already defensive, and already shifting blame."

"But she's just as much to blame," Tillie snapped.

"Blame for what, Tillie?" Kristoff demanded. "What has Anna done to you besides try to be the best friend she can be? What did my wife do to you to make you treat her this way?"

"If she hadn't been here Daddy would still be alive!"

"Right." Krisotff scoffed. "Because she put the clot in his blood."

"She kept us from seeing he needed help!"

"Then why is she to blame and not us?" Kristoff countered. "Why not you, me, Gracie, or even Ma? Any one of use could've been out there with him, but we weren't. And even if we were, he'd still be dead. This isn't my wife's fault."

"She acts guilty," Tillie pointed a finger at Anna, hiding behind Kristoff. "She knows it's her fault!"

"No. What she's doing is letting you beat on her in the hopes that it'll help you. She's willing to accept your anger if it makes you feel better. Let _that_ sink through your thick skull. How does it feel, Matilda Louise, to know your best friend _accepts_ your abuse? Someone who has been abused her whole life, is taking your abuse." He paused, wrapping his arm around Anna, not letting her hide behind him. "Anna needs you to be okay, no matter what it does to her. You've done such a number on her it's like all the healing she's done in the last year's been wiped away, but she _still_ accepts it from you because she loves you more than she loves herself. She may accept it, but I don't. I won't allow this anymore. You aren't going to treat my wife like this anymore, Tillie. Not while there's breath in my body."

Tillie stood silently in the kitchen, glaring at everyone around her. When Matilda Louise Bjorgman feels she's been backed into a corner she'll lash out at whoever is in swinging distance. And now it was Kristoff's turn to take on Tillie's wrath.

She crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath. "You sure know how to pick your girls, Kristoff. First crazy-ass Miranda Lynn, and now a meek mouse. At least Miranda had some fight to her. This one you can't even look at her without her backing away or crying her eyes out."

"Is that all you got Tillie?" Kristoff goaded. "Cause that's pretty pathetic. You used to be able to do much worse. Come on. Really let me have it."

"You were so desperate for a mother for Temperance that you shacked up with the first skirt who came along!" Tillie shouted. "You don't need her."

"Right, because five years between dates is the first person," he deadpanned. "Shit, Tillie, you're so angry your arguments have all the punch of half-assed curry. So what's _really_ bothering you? What the fuck has you so riled up?"

Tillie opened her mouth to argue back, and then shut it. Unable to form something meaningful and just sharp enough, she balked. Broken, she looked down at the floor, hugging herself. "It hurts. Losing Daddy, it hurts."

"I know," Krisotff said, dropping his aggressive stance. "And believe me, I know it hurts less to be angry. But you can't keep doing this to Anna. Or yourself. You just can't."

"I was angry that she was able to help Mama in ways I couldn't." Tears leaked unbidden down her dark cheeks. "I was so hurt, and jealous."

"He was Anna's dad too, Tills," Kristoff said. "The first father that ever gave a damn about her. Think about that. You had _years_ with that old man. More than any of us. We know it hurts, god knows it hurts, but you're not the only one who lost him. And she didn't lose just him. Anna lost you too. Lost the first friend she had that wasn't ripped away from her."

"I never meant any harm Tillie," Anna said, looking at her best friend, reaching her hand out to her. "I was only trying to help. To take the pressure off Mama and let her grieve. I had to take care of her in the way she took care of me, the way you all took care of me. That's all I wanted to do, please believe that."

Tillie looked up, looked like she was about to launch into Anna again. Anna flinched back, hiding in Kristoff's arms, but then Bulda walked into the kitchen. Tillie looked at her mother, wide-eyed.

"Matilda Lousie, do you remember my sister Belinda Raye?" Bulda asked, glaring at her eldest daughter.

"Barely Mama," Tillie said, hiccoughing as she held back her tears.

"That girl gave my mama a run for her money. Turned her hair white by the time she was thirteen. That girl was just like you. Stubborn, pigheaded and unable to see reason for nothing. But Belinda Raye loved you. You used to sit on her lap and listen to her read you stories, helping you learn English. You two are so alike it's scary."

Bulda walked across the kitchen and took her daughter's hand. "When Daddy died, Belinda Raye acted like you're acting now. She blamed us, cursed us. Pushed us all away with her anger and hatred. I couldn't have that around you kids, so I had to cut her out of our lives. You cried for weeks over her, Matilda Louise. You couldn't understand why she hated more than she loved, and I couldn't explain it to you 'cause I couldn't understand it either." Bulda took a moment to look at her children gathered in the kitchen. She wasn't blind, she knew there was something wrong but she trusted her children to work it out before she stepped in. "I ain't spoke to my baby sister since before Penny June came around. I don't want that in my family again. I won't go through that again."

"God, I'm a horrible person!" Tillie cried, clinging to Kevin, the tears she hadn't shed falling faster than she could make them stop.

"No, you're not." Kristoff disagreed. "You're grieving. I am too. We all are, but Anna couldn't let it out because she took on too much with me and Ma and the little ones, and you. I didn't start feeling better until I looked past my own grief to help her with hers." Kristoff ran a hand down his face, sighing. "Look I know you're in pain, Tillie, but you can't keep this up. It's not good for you, or for any of us."

"I watched that anger turn my baby sister into a bitter, vicious woman. That anger, it twisted her into everything she once hated, and nothing we did could stop it. I don't want to see the same thing happen to you, baby girl. I can't. I won't! You're hurting, God knows how much you're hurting, but you're so much better than this!"

"I blew him off!" Tillie sobbed, her knees going weak and she fell against Kevin. "He wanted to have lunch to just talk. But I blew him off! There was always tomorrow, I said. Told him I was too busy with school and life."

"Baby girl, he knew! He understood, and he didn't love you any less because of it," Bulda cried, cupping Tillie's face in her plump hands. "It's okay. He never faulted any of you kids from living your lives. He was so happy to have given them to you. And you know what he'd do if he saw you now, don't you?"

"He'd give me that look," Tillie clung to Kevin, who held her tight against his chest. "That look of his the one that says you've fucked up without him having to say anything. He was so good at that."

"So what are you gonna do?"

Tillie looked down, struggling with herself. She leaned into Kevin, who held her close. "S-start over," Tillie mumbled, looking at her brother and his wife.

"Then he'd be proud of you, sweet girl. So proud."

"I am too," Kevin whispered softly in her ear. "And I'll be with you every step."

"We love you Tillie," Anna said, not moving from her safe space next to her husband. "We want what's best for you." _Even if this is all for show and tomorrow you're back to hating me._ "That won't ever change."

Tillie wept, finally wept for what she'd lost, and what she'd done. Kevin hugged her as she sobbed into his shoulder. Bulda wrapped the two of them up in her own arms, and Grace Leanna came over to hug her as well. Kristoff tucked Anna's head under his chin and held her close as they both watched Tillie slowly came out of the darkness that almost consumed her.

The rift would still be there in the morning. And the next day. And all through the next week. Anna still froze like a deer in the headlights whenever she saw Tillie, but was slowly getting better. The damage Tillie's anger caused was being felt through the whole family, and being dealt with. The regular family dinners at Bulda's started up again. Anna came, but stayed close to Kristoff or her children and made it a point to never be alone with Tillie. Yes, she had forgiven Tillie, but the words, the verbal abuse Tillie put her through, it still bounced around in her head. Those wounds were something only time would heal.

About a month later, the height of the summer heat, Anna had finally coaxed her children to sleep. The fans on high, blankets kicked aside, Stitches snuggled close to guard against monsters and Scary Ladys. Anna kissed them both on the forehead and switched on their nightlights, and left their doors cracked open.

Anna curled up on the couch downstairs with a book, waiting for Kristoff to return home from work. While she missed the hustle and camaraderie of the catering company, being home with her children was far more rewarding.

A knock on the door pulled Anna from her reading. She wasn't sure who to expect, since everyone was working a wedding at the mansion. She opened the door to find Tillie, still in her waitress uniform, holding a bottle of wine and a copy of Pretty Woman.

"Thought you could use some company 'til Kris gets home," Tillie smiled hopefully, offering the bottle.

Anna smiled back and stepped aside to let Tillie in. The door closed on that ugly chapter of their lives. No apologies were spoken, as there was no need. Anna had forgiven Tillie for what was said between them before and there wasn't need to drudge it up again.

Kristoff finally stumbled home several hours later, exhausted and ready to snuggle with his wife. He walked into his house and saw the TV on, looping the start screen of some DVD or another, an empty bottle of wine on the table, and Anna and Tillie cuddled together, asleep on the couch. He smiled softly, grateful things were slowly getting back to normal. Or at least to what passed for normal in his crazy, loving, oddball, wonderful family. He picked up the light blanket and draped it over the two. He pressed a soft kiss to Anna's forehead, not wanting to break the peaceful sleep she had finally found after so, so long.


	25. The Sun Sets in the West

Chapter 22: The Sun Sets in the West

The autumn sun streamed in through the lacy curtains, bathing the parlor in a soft amber glow. Anna sat at the piano playing her favorite hymns, waiting for Jesse Cameron and Temperance Dawn to return home from school. Normally she'd be at the school to walk them home, but the twins insisted that they were old enough and responsible enough to make sure all six Bjorgman kids got home in one piece. Six pairs of puppy-dog eyes later and Anna finally relented.

Temperance Dawn was in kindergarten again. Between her kidnapping, gaining a new mother, losing her grandfather, and the bullying of her former classmates, her therapist and parents agreed that it would be better to repeat than press forward into first grade. They would rather see her succeed than become frustrated with school and end up falling behind. So with the support of her teacher, a silver-haired gentleman from somewhere else, her family, Temperance Dawn began again.

And that made all the difference. Temperance Dawn loved school this time, and flourished like a well-watered weed. Every morning she would grab the book bag she so carefully packed the night before, and walk to school with her big brother, the twins, Stephen Michael, and Lucy May. On days when Lucy May had trouble walking, Tempe would push her in her wheelchair. She joined Lucy May at lunch, sometimes with other friends, sometimes just the two of them. There were still the girls from her last class that took it upon themselves to be nasty and that wasn't tolerated in the least. With Anna working closely with Temperance both at school and home, any issues were promptly dealt with before escalating further.

In the month that Jesse Cameron had been in school, he excelled. He found solace in his schoolwork as he settled into his new family and life. Jesse Cameron was an avid reader, something Anna and Kristoff praised and encouraged him to explore. Family trips to the library were a regular occurrence, and Jesse enjoyed reading aloud to his new sister and helping her with her letters. His spelling was amazing, even if his handwriting needed work. Kristoff came up with an idea of how to help Jesse Cameron with his handwriting: in the evenings they'd write out recipes together. And more often than not, they'd prepare those recipes the next day.

Anna hummed along with the music, unaware that her husband was standing behind her, watching her, watching her enjoy herself. It had been too long since he'd seen her this relaxed, happy, at peace. While the rift between his wife and his sister was healing, there was still lingering apprehension and avoidance on Anna's part.

Summer had been tough. Tillie worked her ass off trying to make amends with the family. She strove to temper her hot-headed impulsiveness without killing her fire, and she did not deny or shift blame away from herself for what had happened. It wasn't easy for her, but she never gave up. Kristoff was proud of his sister. And Anna… watching his Anna squash down her instinctual timidity and meet Tillie half-way was inspiring. Bulda hugged them both frequently, singly and together (the woman could out-bear hug a bear), telling them how proud Pabbie would be of them both. The family was healing together, as they always have. It wasn't always easy, and it was rarely pretty, but the love that drove them helped round out the rough edges and knit them closer together.

But then the letters came, about the same time school started. Correspondence from the District Attorney and the case against Him. Just the sight of those legal envelopes made Anna fearful, unable to sleep. They sat unopened, tucked under the pile of songbooks atop the piano. She knew she needed to go and testify, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to face him again. She never wanted to see him again, for the rest of her life and beyond that if possible.

The nightmares that came back were worse than ever. Too often, Kristoff found her in the middle of the night up in the attic, shaking and crying. He'd gather her into his lap and hold her close, rocking her and singing to her, helping her out of the darkness. "I know you feel safe up here, but you don't have to hide your fears from me, love."

"I know," she cried, her face buried in his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry, Anna. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

And she did reach out to him for comfort, for reassurance, and while his heart ached with hers it also swelled with pride that she really did trust him. He slept lighter, like he did when he first got Tempe back, always listening for the telltale sounds of her nightmares. He'd catch her before her fears had her bolting, helped her retrain those hard-learned instincts. Sat with her when she finally opened the letters. Offered to have Mark have a look at them too. And it helped, but the nightmares still came.

There had to be something more he could do for her. For them.

"We should go away this weekend," Kristoff said, pushing off the wall. "I think we need to take some time to ourselves. No kids, no lawyers, no family stress. Just you and me."

"That sounds lovely," Anna beamed, turning the pages of her hymnal, looking for another song to play. But then she sighed, "But I have so much going on. Tempe's going to the aquarium with her class and I'm volunteering to help out Jesse Cameron's baseball team this weekend. And we have Jillian's baby shower to shop and prep for."

"Ma would love to go to Charleston with Tempe and her class, and I am sure there are plenty of other parents who can step up for their kids' team for a day or two," Kristoff countered, kissing the top of her head. "And we have plenty of time before Jillian's shower." He joined her on the bench seat, having to straddle it to fit his frame onto it. He draped a burly arm across her shoulders, running his fingers down her arms. "You're amazing, you know? You wear so many hats: Mother, daughter, sister, friend, volunteer, pastry chef, team mom. Wife," he tucked a lock of auburn hair behind her ear and kissed her neck. "I like that last one most of all," he breathed. "I know you're busy, but take moment to just be Anna?"

Anna melted into his touch. "The kids will be home in a few minutes," she murmured. She leaned into his chest, and he gathered her close.

"I can work with a few minutes," he purred in her ear, his hands drifting down her torso, over her hips and down her legs, seeking the hem of her dress, pausing there for her consent. She sighed and let out a soft but intense moan of approval when his fingers found the smooth skin of her thighs. She twisted, straddling the bench so her back rested firmly against his broad chest, her legs parted, her skirt riding up and his hands caressing, searching. While he wanted more, just touching her like this was bliss, and would be enough for a midday encounter. He loved the soft warmth of her, mixed with the subtle scent of her perfume, her meditation incense, and laundry soap. Everything about her was intoxicating.

He growled low as the crinoline from her petticoat got in his way. She giggled, and he nipped at her shoulder. Any other time he would have scooped her into his arms and carried her to their room to remove the offending garment (and everything else), but he only had a few minutes. He fought the forest of tulle, bound and determined to please her, eager to claim his prize. Her shallow breathing and soft whimpers urged him on. She invited him in, opening her legs wider, leaning back against him, gripping his massive thighs and trembling when the blunt tips of his fingers brushed against her center, her panties already damp for him. "K-Kristoff…"

He planted a kiss on her forehead, watching her, sinking into those bright blue eyes of hers shining up at him. "What do you want?" Kristoff nuzzled against her, kissing his way down to her jaw as he slipped inside her panties and circled her clit.

"Yes," Anna moaned, feeling his fingers find her entrance. "You. I want you. Only you."

He found that spot on her neck that drove her crazy and slowly pumped his fingers into her. His other arm wrapped around her, holding her tight against him, cupping and caressing her breast through her cardigan. Anna let out a soft but urgent moan as she moved her hips in time with his hand, grinding against the bulge pressed firmly against her back. " _Kris_ …"

"I've got you, my princess. Just let it flow."

She flung an arm out to brace herself against the base of the piano and the mountain of a man behind her. He grinned as he felt her start to unravel, panting with each insistent thrust of his fingers, each firm caress of his thumb against her clit, each word of love he whispered into her ear. For too long such pleasure had been denied her, and now he gave her whatever she desired, whenever she desired. She surrendered to the sweet release he gave her, crying out as she came.

She sagged back in his embrace, limp and sated and so in love. "I'll give you more tonight, my love, if you want it."

"I always want you," she sighed, then surprised him by turning in his arms and darting her hands to his hips, untying the drawstring and dipping her hands in his shorts.

"Ah-Anna?" he stammered, groaning when her slender fingers wrapped around his thick length. "The kids will be home in a few minutes?"

She licked her lips and smiled at her husband. "I can work with a few minutes," she smirked, then bent low and took him into her mouth.

* * *

Anna stared at the large manila envelope, with its official-looking labels and _OPEN IMMEDIATELY_ stamped in red ink across the front. Anna had a good idea what was in it, but didn't want to open it. She was trying very hard to close the door on that part of her life. Large manila envelopes from District Attorneys' Offices were like boulders stuck in the door jamb.

Kristoff was at the Mansion prepping for a wedding tomorrow, and wouldn't be home until late. Anna didn't want to open the letter alone. She wanted to burn it and bury the ashes in the back yard, but she knew that wasn't an option. She'd put off all the other letters already, and it looked like her recalcitrance was coming back to haunt her.

She grabbed the envelope with trembling hands and walked across the yard. Maybe Bulda would be home and could help her. Bulda usually had tea with her ladies in the afternoons, and they usually finished up about now. Anna knocked on the back patio door, then walked into the kitchen. "Mama? Are you home? Mama-oh!" She jumped when she saw Tillie at the counter.

Tillie looked up and saw Anna jump. She couldn't keep the shame off her face, but she shook it off and smiled softly at her brother's wife. "Anna. Mama's not home."

Anna felt bad that her gut instincts were still pulling her away from her best friend and sister, and that they both were still hurting because of it. So she smiled back at Tillie, genuinely pleased to see her. They were still working things out, both too stubborn and too determined to give up. "Is everything alright?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Miss Tommie Jean's chrysanthemums are in bloom, so they all went over to her place to ooh and aah over them," Tillie grinned. "I stayed for clean-up and kid patrol."

"Need a hand?"

"Nah, this is the last of it. The little ones will tear through the leftover cucumber sandwiches when they get home. Want one? I played with the recipe a bit."

"Please." Anna put the envelope down and helped herself to one of the little sandwiches. "Mmm, this is good!"

"Thanks," Tillie blushed, then glanced curiously at the envelope. "What's that?"

Anna wrung her hands a bit, looking down. "Something I don't want to deal with alone."

"And Mama's not here," Tillie finished for her. "You don't want to wait for Kristoff to get home?"

"I don't know if I can," Anna frowned, fingers brushing over the angry red 'open immediately' stamp on the front.

"Well, Mama should be home soon," Tillie said. "You can only gush over flowers for so long, right?"

"Right," Anna giggled nervously. She knew Tillie was offering her an out, but she wasn't going to take it. She had a better idea, she hoped. "Would, um, would you help me with it?" she asked.

Anna looked up to see Tillie's eyes brimming with tears. She dashed them away and smiled brightly. "Sure thing, Anna."

* * *

Anna sat in front of the computer, staring at the blank screen. She could do this. She had to do this.

But her mind drifted back to yesterday afternoon in Bulda's kitchen, to Tillie…

"I can't believe they're not gonna drag is slimy ass to trial! After what he's done to you, he deserves the deepest, dankest, nastiest hellhole in all of South Carolina!"

"Myrtle Beach?"

Tillie stopped mid-rant and gaped at Anna, then busted out laughing. "Oh my god, Anna!"

Anna giggled, but her face fell when she looked back at the envelope. The District Attorney got him to agree to a deal instead of going to trial. It didn't take much, the DA had him dead to rights and he knew it. The deal meant Anna didn't have to go and face her demon, for which she was beyond grateful. But the sentencing was still up in the air, and the DA wanted her to come and give a statement to the court.

"Tillie, I…" she couldn't say it.

Tillie reached across the table and took Anna's hand. "You're afraid."

It wasn't a question, but Anna nodded, eyes welling with tears.

"It's ok to be afraid, Anna. There's no shame in it at all." Tillie squeezed her hand in comfort. "Talk to me. What do you want to do?"

"I want to wake up and have it be over. I want to be strong enough to face him, to make sure he never breathes free again," but then she shuddered. "But I also don't ever want to see him again. I want him to never have power over me again."

"He won't," Tillie said firmly, coming around to sit next to Anna and pull her into a hug. "That animal will never hold sway over you ever again, Anna Marcie Bjorgman, no matter what. You won't let him. He's nothing to you now."

Anna clung to Tillie, to the support she was giving her. "I should be stronger…"

"Anna, you are already strong! Whether you decide to go and speak in person or send a letter to be read had nothing to do with strength. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, including yourself."

Anna looked up at Tillie. "You think so?"

"I know so," Tillie squeezed her tight, then leaned back to look Anna in the face. "And no matter what you decide to do, Kristoff and Mama, and Gracie and me and the whole family will support you!"

Tillie's words touched Anna's heart. She thought long and hard about her options. She waited until almost eleven, when Kristoff finally came home from work, and despite the late hour they sat and talked about her options. They sat on the couch, cuddled together despite the heat, talking and even crying together. Kristoff's words echoed Tillie's: it was Anna's decision, and no matter what it was they would all have her back. _Bjorgmans stick together through the storm._

"I never want to see him again," Anna whispered, huddled against her husband's broad chest. "I'll write a statement and send it to the attorney. I'll still face him, but on my own terms."

Kristoff folded his arms around her and held her close. Anna soaked in his love and unwavering support, letting it soothe over the parts of her soul left bruised and raw by her ordeals.

So she sent her exhausted husband to bed, and she sat in front of the computer, a mug of spiced Indian tea at her side, and tapped into memories she hoped she'd never have to touch again.

 _To the Honorable Judge George Warren Cunningham,_

 _My name is Anna Marcie Bjorgman, and for five years I was physically, mentally, and sexually abused by Hans Westergaard. There wasn't a single moment in those five years when I wasn't afraid for my very life. For five grueling years, what little self-esteem and self-worth I had was methodically and brutally stripped away by Hans Westergaard. He isolated me from everyone, controlled my every movement, dictated what I could or couldn't wear or do or eat, used me for labor and for much much worse. If he didn't like something that I did, I was severely punished for it. If I spoke out of turn, I was beaten. If I protested, I was tied down and raped. Most of the time he didn't use an excuse, he just took. For five years I was the unwilling target of his anger and his lust. And when his abuse got me pregnant, he beat me so thoroughly I lost the baby and even the ability to ever bear children. I will carry the scars of those five years on my back and wrists, on my soul, for the rest of my life._

 _Nearly two years ago, I managed to escape from Hans Westergaard and make a life for myself. I came to Arendelle, South Carolina, alone, broke, and with nothing more than a small duffle bag and the clothes on my back. But in this small hamlet by the sea, I managed to create a life for myself. One that was free of the relentless torture that was life under Hans Westergaard's thumb. For the first time in my life, I had people who cared about me, stuck their necks out for me. People who wanted to see me succeed. People who helped me find my voice. With their help, I found myself. And by luck or by grace, I found someone who loved me as I was. He unbroke me and saw in me what I thought Hans Westergaard had beaten down and murdered years ago. He taught me to love again, and to trust again._

 _I thought I was free. I thought I had put my past behind me. I thought I was finally building a worthwhile life again. But Hans Westergaard found me. He came to my new world, and was fully intent on taking me back with him, back to a life that was worse than a prison. Back to a life where I was nothing more than a punching bag and a slave to his machinations and his lust. He came into my home, manipulated me, assaulted me, destroyed many treasured gifts, and nearly killed the man I loved. I never want to relive those moments ever again, yet I choose to do so. Though it pains me to even think of what I've endured, I feel in my heart that I must._

 _I write to this court not for myself, but for the next girl to catch Hans Westergaard's eye. I don't want her to have to suffer the way I suffered. Don't let her wear the stripes of his belt or the ragged breaks on her wrists from his unforgiving ropes. Don't let him take her chance to have a family. Don't let him destroy her psyche and her soul._

 _I escaped that hell, but the next girl might not be as lucky._

 _Don't sentence him for me. I refuse to let him have any hold over me, not even hatred or vengeance. Mr. Westergaard deserves to be punished for his crimes, but don't do so for me. Do it so he never has a chance to sink his claws into another hopeless girl. Do it to save his future victim the agony that was five years of my life. I implore you, do it for her._

 _Sincerely, Anna Marcie Bjorgman_

She printed the letter, put it in the pre-addressed envelope the DA sent over, and walked it out to the post office and into the big collection box before she changed her mind. She knew if she left it in her own mailbox she would be back and forth to it changing her mind until Stuart the mailman arrived. She couldn't take it back if it were at the Post Office. At three in the morning the box was obviously empty. She heard the letter hit the bottom and, with it, a weight lifted off her shoulders and a freedom found her soul.

She turned and walked back to her home, her family, her steps lighter than they have been in forever.

* * *

Anna woke to the sound of someone crying down the hall. She was instantly up, thinking it was Tempe having another nightmare. But when she checked on her daughter she was sound asleep giving a convincing chokehold on her Stitch stuffy. No, these cries were coming from the last room on the left, Jesse's room. He was sitting up in his bed, the photo album that his grandmother had sent over before she passed opened on his lap. The tears clung to his face and it broke Anna's heart.

"Jesse?" Anna called softly. "Baby boy, what's wrong?"

"Mama?" he little voice cracked. "I need you Mama."

Anna didn't need another word to come out of his mouth. She rushed to his side and gathered the little boy into her lap. She kissed the top of his head, wrapping them both in a blanket.

"Talk to me Jesse," Anna said. She looked down at the open page of the photo album. Jesse looked to be about four; a large birthday cake in front of him, a beautiful lady, just about Anna's age with soft brown hair curling down to her shoulders. She had her hands resting on Jesse's shoulders and she was laughing. Anna tapped the album with her finger, "Do you want to tell me about this picture?"

"It was Mama's birthday," Jesse said, swiping at the tears on his face. "It was the last one before she started getting sick. I miss her all the time, Miss Anna."

"I know you do," Anna soothed, rocking him ever so slightly. "You love her, and you miss her. It's alright to miss her."

"It hurts," Jesse whimpered. "It hurts too much."

"Oh Jesse," Anna held him just a bit tighter. "I know. It hurts real bad, I know. And you don't have to hurt alone, you know. Your dad, your sister, your whole new family, me…. We all hurt with you."

Jesse clung to Anna, weeping into her shoulder. Anna hugged him like she'd never let him go, grateful he found comfort with her.

"It'll get easier. It still hurts, but in time it gets easier. No one can tell you how long you'll need before it gets easier. Your dad and I don't mind. We're here for you, no matter what."

"It's easier when I don't think about her, but what if I start to forget her?" Anna's heart broke at the fear and shame swimming in his brown eyes. "I don't want it to hurt, but I don't want to forget!"

"I won't let you forget her, Jesse. Never."

"What about Grandma?"

"I won't let you forget any of them, my son. I promise. If you ever start to feel like you starting to forget, you come find me. No matter what I'm doing, I will stop and come sit with you and we will talk while you look through this book. We will visit your grandma as often as we can. We will make sure your mama's a part of your life forever, no matter what."

Jesse sniffled and wiped his eyes. "You promise?"

"I pinky promise," Anna vowed, holding up her left pinky. "And those are the most sacred of all promises."

Jesse Cameron hooked his pinky with Anna's and she held him tight. He smiled at her through his tears. "What would you like to do, Jesse?"

He looked down at his album, his fingers brushing the protective sleeve over his mother's picture. "I'd like to tell you about my Mama…. Mom."

There was no force on earth that could keep Anna's tears back at that. "I'd like that very much, Jesse," she whispered.

* * *

 _Epilogue, the following summer_

Anna sat on the dock, her feet in the water, watching her family splash and play. Temperance Dawn was on her husband's back, giggling and shouting at her cousins. Grace Leanna and Adam Carter tossed squealing kids into the water, only to have them scramble back up the ladder to do it again.

Summer days, especially days they didn't have events at the Mansion, were always like this: kids in the water, or flying through the air on their way into the water, screaming because it was impossible for children and water to mix without screaming. The adults gathered around them, swimming or chatting over snacks and drinks. Everything was chaotically normal, but today was a bit different.

"I'm not so sure about this," Anna said, pulling her feet up so they barely touched the water. Around her the kids were jumping, splashing, shooting each other with pump-handled water cannons and launching water balloons.

"You've got this, love," Kristoff lifted Tempe off his shoulders and plopped her into the water before he waded over to his beautiful wife. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"Mommy, you can have my water wings," Temperance Dawn screamed, kicking wildly in her inner tube to get away from Justin Carl who was armed with enough water ammo to take on the entire neighborhood.

"I'm sure they'd fit too," Grace Leanna teased from her chair a good distance away from the war.

What was different was Anna, sitting on the dock, wearing a modest swimsuit that used to belong to Penny June. Anna never swam, never wore a swimsuit, and always had on something to cover her back. The Bjorgman kids never said anything about the scars, but she still didn't like anyone seeing them. The shame of the scars on her back were enough to keep her hidden, but Bulda and Tillie (and Gracie, and Kristoff) insisted she had nothing to be ashamed of. Bulda suggested that she use the scars to remember that the past hurts but it's behind you. Tillie suggested that the scars be a reminder that she survived and that she's stronger than her past. Anna tried to do both, but that didn't make them less ugly in her mind.

"All we're going to do is float," Kristoff said, easing his wife into the water. The depth came to his mid chest which meant it was nearly to Anna's ears. She gripped his arms tight, the fear very evident in her eyes. Over her shoulder he saw Stephen Michael aiming his water gun at his big brother's head. "Boy, you shoot me with that right now, you'll find yourself beached for an hour."

The sternness in his voice meant he was serious, and Stephen was wise enough to find another target. Kristoff cradled Anna in his arms and helped her lean back in the water. "Relax, I've got you."

Anna stared into the eyes of her husband, her heart pounding. "Don't let go."

"Never" Kristoff grinned.

"You can do it, Mom!" Jesse Cameron encouraged.

"It's okay Mommy," Tempe said. "Daddy taught me how to swim. He's a good teacher."

"At least he's taking it slow with you, Anna," Tillie called. She and Kevin set heaping trays of sandwiches down on the picnic table, then Kevin wrapped his arms around his wife and rested his hands on her growing belly. "He taught Stephen Michael and the twins how to swim by throwing them off the dock."

"Y'all ain't helping," Kristoff groused, feeling Anna's hands grip him tighter. "Okay, baby. We'll try again when it's not so noisy."

He set her back on the dock, ducking as his son launched a water balloon at Justin Carl. Kristoff uses his big hands and creates a wave that swamped nearly all the kids in one shot. The boys shouted and fire back at their brother/dad. Temperance giggles and tries to hide behind Kristoff.

Later that evening, once all the kids were tuckered out and watching a movie at Bulda's, Kristoff and Anna went back down to the dock. The breeze off the inlet was warm, just like it was two years ago, not that long but a lifetime ago, when Anna first came to Arendelle and was so startled she fell into the water from this very dock. And Kristoff jumped in after her.

This time he jumped in first, and held his arms out for Anna.

"You're not going to let me sink," she said. Not a question, but a statement of trust.

"Never," he vowed. "Jump."

She does.

THE END


End file.
